[Apollo 8] THE MOON'S FARSIDE FIRST SEEN BY HUMANS (diptych): sunlit terrain of Crater Keeler Fr...

[Apollo 8] THE MOON'S FARSIDE FIRST SEEN BY HUMANS (diptych): sunlit terrain of Crater Keeler Frank Borman, 21-27 December 1968 Printed 1968. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [overlapping NASA image AS8-14-2431 and AS8-14-2432]. With 'A Kodak Paper' watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA / North American Rockwell, Downey, California). (North American Rockwell was NASA's prime contractor for the Apollo Command and Service Modules) Each: 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context During Apollo 8's orbit 8, Frank Borman captured these very rare colour vertical photographs with the Hasselblad 500EL equipped with a 250mm telephoto lens, enjoying a solitary view of the spectacular and uncharted far side of the Moon while Lovell and Anders slept. These overlapping images reveal intricate details of the rugged lunar terrain, showcasing the floor of the 37-km-wide Crater Planté (10°S latitude, 163°E longitude, unnamed at the time of the mission), located near the eastern inner wall of the much larger 160-km-wide Crater Keeler (also unnamed at the time). Each frame covers approximately 32 km (20 miles) per side. 'We were like three school kids. The most awe-inspiring sight. Looking back at the back side of the Moon [...] for the very first time.' —James Lovell (Chaikin, Voices, p. 36) Footnotes: The far side of the Moon, often mistakenly called the 'Dark Side', refers to the lunar hemisphere that permanently faces away from Earth. The Apollo 8 crew became the first humans in history to witness this hidden world with their own eyes. Contrary to common belief, the far side is not shrouded in darkness—it receives sunlight just like the nearside. The term 'dark' in this context is figurative, signifying its invisibility from Earth due to 'Tidal Locking.' A more accurate term for this unseen region is the 'far side' or 'backside' rather than the misleading 'dark side.' Literature National Geographic, May 1969, p. 618 (first photograph) TIME, 10 January 1969, p. 43 (second photograph) For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing