Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin

The CM Columbia over the eastern Sea of Tranquility

Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969, orbit 13

Vintage photograph with red NASA MSC number “AS11-37-5446” and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso.
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

The photograph was taken from Eagle through the 80mm lens as both spacecrafts were station-keeping over the Sea of Tranquillity (latitude / longitude: 1.0N / 38.0E) approaching the area of the landing site.

While Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the lunar surface aboard the LM, Collins was left on a 22-hour solo voyage to orbit the Moon alone in Columbia, and part of his responsibility during those orbits was to take photographs of the lunar surface (and with any luck identify Tranquillity Base).

From the mission transcript a few orbits before this photograph was taken:

076:34:34 Armstrong: Apollo 11 is getting its first view of the landing approach. This time we are going over the Taruntius crater, and the pictures and maps brought back by Apollo 8 and 10 have given us a very good preview of what to look at here. It looks very much like the pictures, but like the difference between watching a real football game and one on TV. There’s no substitute for actually being here...