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An Astronaut’s Snapshot of the Moon

An Astronaut's Snapshot of the Moon
Apollo 17 astronauts Dr. H. Jack Schmitt and Gene Cernan took this image of the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley. The view shows the lunar roving vehicle near the rim of Shorty crater. In the distance are the mountain-like massifs that define the Taurus-Littrow valley. This region marks the last time - December 1972 - that humans walked and drove on the Moon's surface.

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    The Moon is 238,857 miles (384,403 kilometers) from the Earth.
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    The Moon has a diameter of 2160 miles (3476 kilometers).

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    These HST data are from proposal 10719. NASA's HST Lunar observation team is led by Chief Scientist J. Garvin. The team includes M. Robinson (Northwestern Univ.), D. Skillman (NASA/GSFC), B. Hapke (Univ. of Pittsburgh), C. Pieters (Brown Univ.), M. Ulmer (Northwestern Univ.), J. Bell (Cornell Univ.), and J. Taylor (Univ. of Hawaii).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    Apollo 17
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    December 1972
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Moon
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Earth's Satellite
  • Release Date
    October 19, 2005
  • Science Release
    NASA’s Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, and J. Garvin (NASA/GSFC)

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Details

Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov