Astro Photography By Wes Higgins

©2004 Wes Higgins

Apollo 17 Landing Site Imaged 09-01-07 , 18 Inch Reflector , Infinity 2-1M Camera

The Text Listed Below Is Provided By Personal Authorization From Christian Legrand Of VMA, Link To Virtual Moon Atlas

Description:
Launch on 7 December 1972 from Cape Kennedy / 5h 33mn (TU). Vehicle 3.9m diameter. Command Module America (CM) 3.65 m high and 5.7 t. Service
Module (SM) 7.6 m long and 23.5 t. Lunar Module Challenger (LM) 6 m high. 4.2 m wide and 16.4 t whom 12 t propellants.
Eugene A. CERNAN (Commander) Harrison H. SCHMIDT (Geologist and LM pilote) Ronald E. EVANS (CSM pilot). Soft landing on December 11. 1971 on 19h
54mn 57s. First excursion with LRV on December 11 from 23h 54mn to 7h 07mn (7h 13mn long). Second excursion with LRV on December 12 from 23h
28mn to 7h 05mn (7h 37mn long). Third excursion with LRV on December 13 from 22h 26mn to 5h 41mn (7h 15mn long). Total distance in Taurus - Littrow
valley 27 km.
Use of Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Four wheels with independant electrical engine. Stick driving. 110.5 kg collected rocks. Dig to 2.5 m deep. Apollo Lunar
Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) with radio transmitter. passive sismometer. active sismometer. gravimeter. Thermal flux measurement. Laser reflector.
Nuclear thermoelectrical generator SNAP-27 with plutonium 238. ALSEP end of transmissions on September 30. 1977.
Lift-off December 14 on 22h 54mn. Surface time : 3d 03h 01mn. Evans 1h 07mn spacewalk on December 14. Splash down on December 19 on 19h 24 mn.
Mission total duration : 12d 13h 52mn.
Position:
Longitude: 30.8° East
Latitude: 20.1° North
Quadrant: North-East
Area: Mare Tranquillitatis North area
Observation:
Interest : Invisible formation
Observation period: Five days after New Moon or Four days after Full Moon
Minimal Instrument: Invisible