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.

                              2026 September 12
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun
     Image Credit: [3]Apollo 11, [4]NASA (Image scanned by Kipp Teague)

   Explanation: Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this
   image of the [5]surface of the Moon. It was taken on [6]July 20, 1969,
   by Apollo 11 astronaut [7]Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the
   lunar surface. [8]Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle,
   and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is unfurling a
   long sheet of foil also known as the [9]Solar Wind Composition
   Experiment. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles
   streaming outward in the solar wind, catching a sample of [10]material
   from the Sun itself. Along with 22 kilograms of [11]moon rocks and
   lunar soil samples, the solar wind collector was returned for analysis
   [12]in earthbound laboratories.

       APOD's main NASA site is [13]moving: From [14]apod.nasa.gov to
                          [15]science.nasa.gov/apod
                    Tomorrow's picture: noctilucent comet
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      Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([29]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply.
            [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices;
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2609/AS11-40-5872HR.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.facebook.com/people/Apollo-Lunar-Surface-Journal/100057623282572/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/apollo-11-moonwalk/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230722.html
   8. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/images11.html#5872
   9. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experiment/display.action?id=1969-059C-02
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/genesis/in-depth/
  11. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/samples/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Sample_Laboratory_Facility#Samples_stored_at_facility_and_other_lunar_samples
  13. https://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=45023
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/apod
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260911.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260912
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260913.html
  27. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  28. https://www.mtu.edu/physics
  29. https://www.astro.umd.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/