[Apollo 17] FINAL ORBITAL LUNAR SUNRISE SEEN BY HUMANS, CAPTURED IN HIGH RESOLUTION WITH THE MET...

[Apollo 17] FINAL ORBITAL LUNAR SUNRISE SEEN BY HUMANS, CAPTURED IN HIGH RESOLUTION WITH THE METRIC CAMERA Ronald Evans, 7–19 December 1972 Printed 1972. Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS17-M-2449]. With NASA metric camera ID number '2449' written on the reverse (issued by NASA). 23 x 23 cm. (9 x 9 in.) Historical context The Moon's beauty is undeniable in this sublime photograph captured near the nearside terminator with the outstanding resolution of the automatic Fairchild Metric Camera mounted in the Service Module's SIM bay and operated by Ronald Evans during one of the last manned lunar orbits. The image richly reveals the stark interplay of light and shadow on the lunar surface. This exceptionally rare, unreleased photograph showcases superb detail of the surface, taken at lunar sunrise (Sun elevation: 6°) from an altitude of 119 km over Crater Tobias Mayer and the Carpathian Mountains in the Sea of Rains with the dramatic Crater Copernicus visible in the left background (19.3° S / 29° W). The image was captured during one of the last revolutions (65th) of a manned spacecraft around the Moon. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing