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Astronomy Picture of the Day

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.

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Apollo 14: Rickshaw Tracks Across the Moon

Explanation: Brilliant sunlight glints off tracks gently winding across the the Moon's Frau Maro highlands . The tracks were made by the Apollo 14 crew's two-wheeled Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) , fondly known as the “rickshaw”. The MET was designed as an aid to surface exploration. Serving as a workbench with a place for the lunar handtools, it also carried cameras, sample containers, spare film and a Lunar Surface Penetrometer. The path outlined in the lunar soil leads away from Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell's Lunar landing Module, tracing the path of their first venture across the lunar landscape .

Date April 27, 1996
Credit Credit: Apollo 14, NASA
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.