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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Apollo 11 image of a nearly full Moon

Apollo 11 image of a nearly full Moon
Apollo 11 image of a nearly full Moon One of the Apollo 11 astronauts took this photo of an almost fully illuminated Moon on July 21, 1969, during their journey home. The command module was nearly 20,000 kilometers away from the Moon at the time. The egg-shaped dark area above center is Mare Crisium. The rayed crater Giordano Bruno is near the top of the frame. Near the bottom are two small rayed craters that bracket a larger crater, Stevinus. High-sun images like this one emphasize albedo differences (like crater rays and mare basins) over topography (like crater bowls). NASA / ALSJ / Emily Lakdawalla

Cropped and color adjusted from this image from the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, AS11-44-6665HR.