[Apollo 15] FIRST TELEPHOTO IMAGES ON THE MOON: Mount Hadley from station 6 (diptych) James Irwi...

[Apollo 15] FIRST TELEPHOTO IMAGES ON THE MOON: Mount Hadley from station 6 (diptych) James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 2 Printed 1971. Diptych comprising: one vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS15-84-11320]. Numbered 'NASA AS15-84-11320' in black in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 25.4 x 20.3 cm. (10 x 8 in.) and: one original montage comprising two vintage gelatin silver prints on fibre-based paper collaged together, numbered 'NASA AS15-84-11328' to 'NASA AS15-84-11329' in black in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). Overall size: 26 x 26 cm. (10 x 10 in.) Historical context A historic first: the Moon revealed through a telephoto lens. These groundbreaking photographs, including a rare composite panorama, mark the first use of a 500mm telephoto lens on the Moon—introduced on Apollo 15 to allow astronauts to capture distant lunar features they could not physically explore. This innovation provided geologists with unprecedented detail for studying the Moon's ancient history. At Station 6 on the flank of Mount Hadley Delta, David Scott took a series of 500mm telephoto images from 18 km away, focusing on Mount Hadley's towering 4,200-meter peak above the Marsh of Decay—a vertical rise seen in only a few places on Earth. Despite appearing as a smooth sand dune, its surface is strewn with sharp ridges and outcrops, visible only through the powerful lens. Each telephoto frame captures an area approximately 2.4 km wide. Scott later recalled the challenge of justifying the 500mm lens for the mission and how its stability was surprisingly superior on the Moon: 'That's pretty good for no viewfinder, just a ring sight. And we had a tough time getting the 500 on the flight. A lot of people said, 'You can't hold a 500-mm lens still on the Moon.' Actually, it's a lot easier on the Moon than it is on the Earth! And it sure was a useful tool.' —David Scott (ALSJ mission transcript, 144:46:38 GET) Footnotes: From the mission transcript when the photographs were taken: 144:45:31 Allen (Mission Control): ...And Dave, can you press on with those big camera pictures? 144:45:37 Scott: Sure can. Couldn't get them until I got the other film out, though. 144:45:40 Allen: Roger; agreed. (The spare film magazines are stowed under Scott's seat along with the third Hasselblad, the one fitted with the 500mm lens.) 144:46:22 Scott: Lens cover's off. 144:46:24 Allen: Beautiful. 144:46:26 Scott: We'll try about 250 and an 8, huh? (That is, an exposure of 1/250th of a second and an f-stop of 8.)'That sound all right to you? 144:46:33 Allen: Roger. Sounds good. 144:46:38 Scott: Yeah, the camera seems to be working all right. All right, I'll get you... Oh, there's some outcrops up at the top (of Mt. Hadley). Literature National Geographic, 'The Mountains of the Moon', February 1972, pp. 230-231 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing