Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 December 27 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Apollo 17's Moonship Image Credit: [3]Apollo 17, [4]NASA, (Image Reprocessing: [5]Andy Saunders) Explanation: Awkward and angular looking, [6]Apollo 17's [7]lunar module Challenger was designed for flight in the near vacuum of space. Digitally enhanced and reprocessed, this picture taken from Apollo 17's [8]command module America shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine underneath. The hatch that allowed [9]access to the lunar surface is seen at the front, with a round radar antenna at the top. Mission commander Gene Cernan is clearly visible through the triangular window. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the Moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972. So where is Challenger now? While its descent stage remains at the [10]Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley, the [11]ascent stage pictured was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' [12]return to planet Earth. Tomorrow's picture: It's full of stars! __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices; A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC, [35]NASA Science Activation & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/AS17-149-22859-2v2SmlWmk.jpg 3. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo17info.html 4. https://www.nasa.gov/ 5. https://twitter.com/andysaunders_1 6. https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-17/ 7. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1972-096C 8. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1972-096A 9. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.html 10. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/lro-apollo-17-landing-site-lithograph/ 11. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_impact.html 12. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/this-week-in-nasa-history-apollo-17-splashes-down-dec-19-1972.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251226.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.com/feed.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251227 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251228.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 36. http://www.mtu.edu/