[Apollo 14] THE TINY LM ANTARES IN THE VAST LUNAR WILDERNESS: seen from the farthest lunar trave...

[Apollo 14] THE TINY LM ANTARES IN THE VAST LUNAR WILDERNESS: seen from the farthest lunar traverse by foot in history, station C1 Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2 Printed 1971. Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS14-68-9448]. Blank on the reverse (issued by NASA). 25.4 x 20.3 cm. (10 x 8 in.) Historical context The Lunar Module—a tiny speck in the distance at Apollo 14's farthest traverse. This remarkable photograph, taken at Station C1 near the rim of Cone Crater, captures a dramatic view of 'Contact Rock' in the foreground. In the vast, featureless lunar landscape, the Lunar Module Antares is barely visible as a tiny speck in the distance, highlighting the immense journey Shepard and Mitchell undertook—mostly uphill and without the aid of the Lunar Rover, which would only be introduced on later J-missions. After abandoning the hunt for Cone Crater at Station C', the astronauts paused at this location—approximately 1.25 kilometres east-northeast of the LM, 70 metres northwest of Station C', and just 35 metres from the crater's rim, at an elevation 80 metres higher than the landing site. Judging distances on the Moon proved to be a major challenge. With no atmospheric haze, no familiar objects to provide scale, and a monochrome, high-contrast environment, only the LM served as a reference point. Footnotes: 'During the whole EVA, the crew had trouble judging distance because there were no familiar objects to provide scale, no COLOUR differences to break up the lunar scene, and no haze to help differentiate smaller, relatively nearby craters from larger ones in the distance' (ALSJ mission summary). Literature Full Moon, Light, plate 63 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing