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Explanation: Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this image of the surface of the Moon. It was taken fifty-four years ago, July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the lunar surface. Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle, and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is unfurling a long sheet of foil also known as the Solar Wind Composition Experiment. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles streaming outward in the solar wind, catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. Along with moon rocks and lunar soil samples, the solar wind collector was returned for analysis in earthbound laboratories.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Apollo 11 - solar wind
Publications with words: Apollo 11 - solar wind
See also:
- APOD: 2026 July 19 Á Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert
- APOD: 2025 April 6 Á Moonquakes Surprisingly Common
- Apollo 11 Landing Panorama
- APOD: 2024 February 19 Á Looking Sideways from the Parker Solar Probe
- Apollo 11: Armstrong's Lunar Selfie
- The Eagle Rises
- Unwrapped: Five Decade Old Lunar Selfie