He surprised everyone by playing a round of golf on it. The Apollo 14 landing site in the Fra Mauro region, with its extensive geological formations associated with the Imbrium Basin, allowed astronauts to collect and return more interesting samples of rock for analysis.Ĭommander Alan Shepard was the only astronaut from the Mercury 7 flights to walk on the Moon. Crew: Alan Shepard (cdr) Edgar Mitchell Stuart Roosaįollowing the almost disastrous failure of Apollo 13, NASA wanted to show that it could still go to the Moon and come back safely. ![]() Lunar Lift off: 6 February 1971 at 18:48 GMT.Lunar Landing: 5 February 1971 at 09:17 GMT.When you view this region at full Moon you’ll be able to see the faint wisps of rays that can be traced back to the large crater of Copernicus. To the southwest, Montes Riphaeus offers interesting views, while craterlets, such as Fra Mauro B, are small bowl-shaped craters that stand scrutiny well. Near the landing site lies the crater Lansberg with its terraced walls and central peak. Several parts of Surveyor 3 were salvaged by the astronauts and brought back to Earth, the ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) was deployed and the crew spent over 31 hours exploring the surface.Īpollo 12 visited the far southeastern edge of the Oceanus Procellarum. Landing in a safe, relatively flat area in the Sea of Storms, Apollo 12 proved that Apollo 11 wasn’t a fluke.īy touching down next to the Surveyor 3 lander, which had been on the Moon for 2 years, it also showed that pinpoint landings with the Lander could be achieved. Crew: Charles (Pete) Conrad (cdr) Alan Bean Richard Gordon.Watch from 6 to 9 days after new Moon and from 4 to 6 days after full for the best views.įor more advice, read our complete guide on how to see the Apollo 11 moonlanding site. These lie in an east to west line just north of the landing site. When the view is good, try using high magnifications to spot the 3 tiny craters that are named after the Apollo 11 crew. The main features visible at this site are the craters: tiny Moltke south of the landing site, which is now called Statio Tranquilitatis, and the larger Sabine and Ritter. The historic event was watched by millions worldwide on TV. The prime concern on this journey into the unknown was safety, so mission planners chose what they thought was the smoothest region to land on using lunar satellite data and ground-based observations, some of which were carried out by Patrick Moore.Īlmost 20kg (44lb) of lunar material was returned, and Neil Armstrong became famous as the first person to set foot on the Moon’s surface, with Aldrin the second. We’ll begin our tour with the Apollo 11 mission, which landed in the south of the Sea of Tranquillity. Crew: Neil Armstrong (cdr) Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Michael Collins. ![]() Lunar Lift off: 21 July 1969 at 17:54 GMT.Lunar Landing: 20 July 1969 at 20:18 GMT.Apollo landing sites on the Moon: what to seeīelow is a guide to each of the Apollo moonlanding sites, and what to see through your telescope once you've found them. This makes a great difference if you are observing close to a bright full Moonbecause it brings out detail masked by the glare.įor more advice, read our guide on how to observe the Moon, our pick of the best features to see on the Moon or our guide to lunar maria.Īnd for moonrise times and phases delivered directly to your email inbox every week, sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter. ![]() To get more detail and see the Apollo moonlanding sites properly you’ll need a telescope, but even the smallest instrument can provide a glimpse of some of the features we mention below.Ī neutral density filter is also a worthwhile investment when observing the Moon. A view of the Apollo 11 landing site in Mare Tranquillitatis. How to see all 6 Apollo landing sites on the MoonĪlthough it is impossible to see the hardware that was left behind with current telescopes, the areas where the Apollo missions landed are rich in sights that can be studied using simple instruments.Ī pair of 10x50 binoculars will get you familiar with the general locations of the Apollo landing sites on the Moon and put them into a geographical context.
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