When the Apollo 11 astronauts went to the moon in July 1969, they were in a sense much like any other tourists visiting an exotic locale--they oohed and ahhed over the scenery, took lots of pictures, and brought home some souvenirs.
This photo shows a full moon from up close as the astronauts--Neil Armstrong (commander), Buzz Aldrin (lunar module pilot), and Michael Collins (command module pilot)--began their homeward journey on that July 21.
Describing his view of the moon upon arrival in the neighborhood a day or so earlier, Collins (in a NASA account) offered this description: "Our first shock comes as we stop our spinning motion and spin ourselves around so as to bring the moon into view. We have not been able to see the moon for nearly a day now, and the change is electrifying....
"To begin with, it is huge, completely filling our window. Second, it is three-dimensional. The belly of it bulges out toward us in such a pronounced manner that I almost feel I can reach out and touch it."
Photo by NASA
Caption by Jonathan Skillings
