AstronomyPicture of the Day——20181113

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.

2018November 13

AstronautExploring: An Apollo 15 Panorama

ImageCredit & Copyright: NASA, USGS, Apollo 15 Crew

Explanation:What would it be like to explore the Moon? NASA's Apollo missions gave humansjust this chance in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In particular, the Apollo15 mission was dedicated to better understanding the surface of the Moon byexploring mountains, valleys, maria, and highlands. Astronauts David Scott andJames Irwin spent nearly three days on the Moon while Alfred Worden orbitedabove in the Command Module. The mission, which blasted off from Earth on 1971July 26, was the first to deploy a Lunar Roving Vehicle. Pictured in thisdigitally stitched mosaic panorama, David Scott, exploring his surroundings,examines a boulder in front of the summit of Mt. Hadley Delta. The shadow ofJames Irwin is visible to the right, while scrolling to the right will reveal awell-lit and diverse lunar terrain. The Apollo 15 mission returned about 76kilograms of moon rocks for detailed study. In the future, NASA and other spaceagencies plan to continue to lead humanity's exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.