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What it is : NASA ’s Apollo 11 Lunar Module
Where it is:238,855 miles ( 384,400 kilometers ) from Earth
Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins snapped this iconic photo of his crewmates and Earth on July 21, 1969.
When it was have : July 21 , 1969
Why it ’s so especial : Although they may not be visible here , all humans but one living on July 21 , 1969 , are in this image .
The sidereal day before this exposure was taken , Apollo 11 Mission Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin had landed Eagle , the lunar lander , on the lunar month and then walk upon it , becoming the first humans ever to do so . As they did , the historic deputation ’s third crewmember — Command Module Pilot Michael Collins — wait for his crewmates about 60 miles ( 97 kilometre ) above in Columbia , the command module , orbitingthe moonalone for 22 hours .
An uncropped version of the Apollo 11 photo.
After their moonwalk was over , Armstrong and Aldrin crucify off in the climb stage of Eagle to rendezvous with Columbia in cranial orbit and begin their journey home . As Eagle approached Columbia , Collins claim this photo .
It ’s become an iconic mental image for two reasons . With Earth above the moon ’s horizon in the ground , it referencesthe notable " Earthrise " ' imagetaken the premature Christmas Eve by Apollo 8 ’s lunar faculty pilot , Bill Anders , who died in June at years 90 . Apollo 8 , the first time humans had traveled beyond low Earth orbit , circled the moon 10 time and was all important to the success of Apollo 11 . " Earthrise " is perhaps the most iconic image of our satellite ever taken .
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Collins ' photo is special for another reason : It includes every be being but Collins , who is behind the camera , leading him to be dub " the world ’s lonely human . " Armstrong and Aldrin are in Eagle , and behind them , is Earth , where every human being and animal resides . ( Although technically , only about a one-fourth of Earth ’s aerofoil is visible here . )
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Collins delineate the utter purdah of his solo trip around the far side of the lunation in his Holy Writ " carry the Fire " ( Cooper Square Press , 1974 ) like this:“I am alone now , truly alone , and absolutely isolated from any known life . I am it , " Collins write . " If a count were taken , the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the moon , and one plusGod knows whaton this side . "
This week marks the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing place . NASA cataloged the image as AS11 - 44 - 6642HR in itsApollo 11 archive . It was shot using a Hasselblad television camera .
