APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5599
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am

APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by APOD Robot » Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:06 am

Image Apollo 13 Views of the Moon

Explanation: What if the only way to get back to Earth was to go around the far side of the Moon? Such was the dilemma of the Apollo 13 Crew in 1970 as they tried to return home in their unexpectedly damaged spacecraft. With the Moon in the middle, their perilous journey substituted spectacular views of the lunar farside for radio contact with NASA's Mission Control. These views have now been digitally recreated from detailed images of the Moon taken by the robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The featured video starts by showing Earth disappear behind a dark lunar limb, while eight minutes later the Sun rises around the opposite side of the Moon and begins to illuminate the Moon's unusual and spectacularly cratered surface. Radio contact was only re-established several minutes after that, as a crescent Earth rose into view. With the gravity of the Moon and the advice of many industrious NASA engineers and scientists, a few days later Apollo 13 opened its parachutes over the Pacific Ocean and landed safely back on Earth.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

jks
Ensign
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 2:35 am

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by jks » Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:40 am

Does Mount Marilyn appear in the video? I don't see it, but I may have missed it.

RocketRon

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by RocketRon » Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:51 am

Wouldn't all of the Apollo missions had to fly something along that path ??

sillyworm 2

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by sillyworm 2 » Tue Mar 03, 2020 12:16 pm

WOW! Takes my breath away.Eerily Beautiful.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Mar 03, 2020 12:42 pm

What an incredible journey these astronauts had! Glad they got home safely! :shock: 🥰
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

Jy C

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Jy C » Tue Mar 03, 2020 1:36 pm

But where are the stars?? Better with it to feel like a astronaut, no?!

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18607
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Mar 03, 2020 2:16 pm

Jy C wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 1:36 pm But where are the stars?? Better with it to feel like a astronaut, no?!
You're not going to see stars in a photograph that is exposed to capture the Moon. They're not bright enough.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

Guest

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Guest » Tue Mar 03, 2020 2:50 pm

These images are not from Apollo 13 but are from a recent satellite circling the Moon. So why create a fake headline? Do you have to trick people into watching this cool video? How pathetic.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18607
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Mar 03, 2020 2:55 pm

Guest wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 2:50 pm These images are not from Apollo 13 but are from a recent satellite circling the Moon. So why create a fake headline? Do you have to trick people into watching this cool video? How pathetic.
The headline accurately describes the video, which was created to show the view that Apollo astronauts had as they orbited behind the Moon. And the caption explains that clearly.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
Fred the Cat
Theoretic Apothekitty
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 4:09 pm
AKA: Ron
Location: Eagle, Idaho

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Fred the Cat » Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:07 pm

Cost and the need to focus on other difficult issues played a role in not establishing a system of real-time communication back in the Apollo days.

Will that need re-emerge for modern lunar exploration :?: I suspect the process will still need to deal with the moon's lumpiness. :-?
Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18607
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:16 pm

Fred the Cat wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:07 pm Cost and the need to focus on other difficult issues played a role in not establishing a system of real-time communication back in the Apollo days.

Will that need re-emerge for modern lunar exploration :?: I suspect the process will still need to deal with the moon's lumpiness. :-?
While it is difficult to maintain satellites in long term orbits around the Moon, it is also cheap and easy to launch them into orbit if you do it from the Moon. If we had a lab operating on the lunar farside, that would be a definite option.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

roberto_nesci
Asternaut
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:00 am

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by roberto_nesci » Tue Mar 03, 2020 6:31 pm

RocketRon wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:51 am Wouldn't all of the Apollo missions had to fly something along that path ??
As far as I understand, Apollo 13 made a polar trip around the Moon, while the other missions were in equatorial orbit to allow an easy landing and rendez-vous of the LEM.

DL MARTIN

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by DL MARTIN » Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:39 pm

Three things:

1. A salutation to Michael Collins, the first human to venture behind the Moon - alone. Can't imagine such isolation.

2.Is that an illustration of the increased crater incidence on the far side or just increased sun illumination on the near side?

3. Having been around for the entire space program, I very much appreciated this presentation. Almost like being there.

RocketRon

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by RocketRon » Wed Mar 04, 2020 5:33 am

roberto_nesci wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 6:31 pm As far as I understand, Apollo 13 made a polar trip around the Moon, while the other missions were in equatorial orbit to allow an easy landing and rendez-vous of the LEM.
Wouldn't all of those still had to orbit around the 'far side' of the moon though ?

RocketRon

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by RocketRon » Wed Mar 04, 2020 5:35 am

Chris Peterson wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:16 pm While it is difficult to maintain satellites in long term orbits around the Moon, it is also cheap and easy to launch them into orbit if you do it from the Moon. If we had a lab operating on the lunar farside, that would be a definite option.
Don't the Chinese currently have a satellite 'behind' the moon, to communicate with their rover thats currently operating there.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18607
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Apollo 13 Views of the Moon (2020 Mar 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed Mar 04, 2020 5:54 am

RocketRon wrote: Wed Mar 04, 2020 5:35 am
Chris Peterson wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:16 pm While it is difficult to maintain satellites in long term orbits around the Moon, it is also cheap and easy to launch them into orbit if you do it from the Moon. If we had a lab operating on the lunar farside, that would be a definite option.
Don't the Chinese currently have a satellite 'behind' the moon, to communicate with their rover thats currently operating there.
Yes. Behind as in orbiting the Earth-Moon L2 point, not orbiting the Moon at all. L2 isn't stable, so the relay craft needs to expend fuel to stay in position.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com