One more way to know Apollo 11 landed on the Moon

April 4, 2010

Every year at this time . . .

In a discussion of the Cold War, the Space Race, and the Race to the Moon, we get to a photo about Apollo 11’s landing on the Moon.

Like clockwork, a hand goes up:  “Mr. Darrell, wasn’t that landing a hoax?  They didn’t really go to the Moon then, did they?”

There are a lot of ways to know that Apollo 11 landed on the Moon.  Among other things, students could talk to people alive at the time who have the slightest bit of technological savvy:  With lots of other people, I tracked part of the trip with my 6-inch reflecting telescope.  Ham radio operators listened in on the radio broadcasts.  And so on.

But I really like this chunk of evidence:  How about a photograph of the landing site?

Holy cow!  You can see the tracksof Neil Armstrong’s footprints to the lip of Little West crater (see arrow below).

Tranquility Base, from the LROC -- showing evidence of Apollo 11's landing -

Tranquility Base, shot from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), showing the traces left by Apollo 11's landing on the Moon. It really happened. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

According to the LROC website:

The astronaut path to the TV camera is visible, and you may even be able to see the camera stand (arrow). You can identify two parts of the Early Apollo Science Experiments Package (EASEP) – the Lunar Ranging Retro Reflector (LRRR) and the Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE). Neil Armstrong’s tracks to Little West crater (33 m diameter) are also discernable (unlabeled arrow). His quick jaunt provided scientists with their first view into a lunar crater.

Check out this video made from the photos, “High Noon at Tranquility Base”:

Fox News?  What’s your story now?

More:

Tip of the old scrub brush to Collect Space forum, and the Carnival of Space #147 at Weird Sciences.  Thanks to ScienceBlips for telling us about Carnival of Space.

10 Comments | Accuracy, History, Hoaxes, How do we know what we know, Moon, NASA, Space exploration, Space Race | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Friday Fox, and Go vote! Defenders of Wildlife photo contest

April 2, 2010

Friday Fox will not be a regular feature — but, Wow! isn’t that a great photo?

Unless you’re the mouse.

Ron Charest photo of a red fox in the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (Delaware) - Defenders of Wildlife

Ron Charest photo of a red fox in the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (Delaware) - Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife called for entries for the 2010 wildlife and wilderness photography contest.  They got more than 10,000 entries, and they’ve got the top 10.  They want you to vote for the best one.  The photo above is just one of the spectacular nominees.

I predict one of the photos featuring animals will win, but the wild lands photos are great, too.

You may vote for three.  Voting ends Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Go see.  Go vote

1 Comment | Art, Environmental protection, National Wildlife Refuge, Natural history, Natural resources, photography, Wildlife, Zoology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Happy birthday, Kenny

April 1, 2010

You know the story.  April Fools’ babies are always surprises.

Even more than a couple of decades later, they surprise and delight.

We’ll meet for dinner tonight, Kenny, Kathryn, Kenny’s grandfather Ken and I — but it’s a Scout function, and I get a spotlight there.  Is there a better testament to how good a kid is than his giving up his birthday evening for his old man?

He was down from Plano last night, quick pick-up dinner and early gifts, which made him smile.  And that made me smile.

Happy birthday, Kenny.  Many more together, I hope.

2 Comments | Family, Personal | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

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