Above: The ultimate anti-selfie, taken by astronaut Michael Collins while awaiting the docking of the lunar module "Eagle," lunar orbit, Apollo 11, 1969. Credit: Michael Collins (and NASA for the travel assist).
The text below was written by Collins while in orbit – and isolation – as Neil and Buzz took America's (dare I say, the world's) first steps on the Moon:
"I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the moon, and one plus God knows what on this side."
The above image is one of my prized desktop backgrounds and one I try to work into every astronomy talk I give – if for no other reason than how different it is from every other photo ever taken. At the time this image was taken, in the history of the entire planet, everyone who isn't Michael Collins – living and dead – is on the *other* side of the camera. It's the ultimate anti-selfie.
Such is the kind of comment that will fly around the internets this summer with the 50th Anniversary of the absolutely-historic, monumental-achievement, why-do-moon-landing-hoaxers-hate-America-? Apollo 11 mission.
As part of that anniversary celebration, Michele Ferrara at Free Astronomy Magazine has worked up an excellent two-parter on the mission itself, starting with a massive article and image spread in the May-June 2019 issue.
Of course, you can't go a month without reporting on The Event Horizon Telescope release of our first image of a black hole (this one in prime observing target Messier 87). An excellent, packed issue all around for your consideration.
As always, please download, read, and pass along. Also, check out the many back issues at www.astropublishing.com
astropublishing.com/3FAM2019/ | Direct PDF
Click the Table of Contents image below for a full-size view.
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