• Scope and content: The original database describes this as:

Description: Apollo 8,Moon, taken during the Transearth Coast (TEC). Image was taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft at a point above 70 degrees east longitude. Mare Crisium, the circular, dark-colored area near the center, is near the eastern edge of the Moon as viewed from Earth. Mare Nectaris is the circular mare near the terminator. The large, irregular maira are Tranquillitatis and Fecunditatis. The terminator at left side of picture crosses Mare Tranquillitatis and highlands to the south. Lunar farside features occupy most of the right half of the picture. The large, dark-colored crater Tsiolkovsky is near the limb at the lower right. Conspicuous bright rays radiate from two large craters, one to the north of Tsiolkovsky, the other near the limb in the upper half of the picture. These rayed craters were not conspicuous in Lunar Orbiter photography due to the low sun elevations when the Lunar Orbiter photography was made. The crater Langrenus is near the center of the picture at the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis. Camera Tilt Mode: High Altitude Moon. Original Film Magazine was labeled B. Camera Data: 70mm Hasselblad. Lens 250mm; Film Type: Kodak SO-368 Color,ASA 64. Flight Date: December 21-27,1968.

Subject Terms: Apollo 8 Flight, Lunar Photography, Craters

Categories: Lunar Observations

Original: Film - 70MM CT

Interior_Exterior: Exterior

Ground_Orbit: On-orbit

Part of this photo was used in Figure 2-2 of the Analysis of Apollo 8 Photography and Visual Observations (SP-201), which has the following caption:

Apollo 8 frame 2506-B recentered on Luna III subspacecraft point.

Part of this photo was used in Figure 18-6 (a) of the Apollo 14 Preliminary Science Report (SP-272), which has the following caption:

Bruno and Tsiolkovsky Craters and a halo around a young crater. (a) The two joining ray systems of Bruno Crater (to the north) and two craters north of the dark-floored Tsiolkovsky Crater (to the south) (AS08-14-2506). (b) A bright halo, approximately 150 km in diameter, that surrounds a young crater located at latitude 5° S, longitude 123° E (AS08-12-2198).

The crater forming the bright halo is now named Necho. The crater referred to as "Bruno" is properly named Giordano Bruno.

Part of this photo was also used in Figure 29-82 of the Apollo 16 Preliminary Science Report (SP-315), which has the following caption:

The eastern limb region of the Moon at high Sun illumination angle. Rays from two bright craters (Giordano Bruno Crater and an unnamed crater termed "SAR" for identification on the Apollo 16 mission) overlap in the area of King Crater. It is evident that, although King Crater displays a bright rim, a few rays are probably related to it.