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Questions regarding the Apollo Landing Site images and video.

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posted on Jan, 1 2010 @ 05:52 AM
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I assume one or more image and video specialists here on ATS or NASA experts can sorely answer them.

It is about the by NASA claimed so called genuine pictures and video of the Apollo Landing Sites made by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
It has to do with the visibility of the astronaut’s footpath, which you cannot see in that picture but you can see them clearly in that video from as it seems to me a far greater distance.
I assume you all saw the pictures and videos below.

LRO Sees Apollo Landing Sites 07.17.09

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has returned its first imagery of the Apollo moon landing sites. The pictures show the Apollo missions' lunar module descent stages sitting on the moon's surface, as long shadows from a low sun angle make the modules' locations evident.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, was able to image five of the six Apollo sites, with the remaining Apollo 12 site expected to be photographed in the coming weeks.


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d6e5148cc6d8.jpg[/atsimg]

Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle.
Image width: 282 meters (about 925 ft.)

Larger image.

www.nasa.gov...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b3eb9d72cb7c.jpg[/atsimg]

Here is a video of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera of the Apollo 11 landing site,

High Noon at Tranquility Base: Apollo 11 Landing Site

www.youtube.com.../a/u/0/S9-5HSoMpBA

So here are my questions.

Right from the start of the video and at a very great distance you immediately can see the Apollo Lander as a clear spot, I assume that that could be possible because of the reflection of the sun on its surface.

Then, how come that the astronauts footpath are absolutely not visible on that large close in zoomed image but when they zooming in at the video you can see them almost right from the beginning of that video at 0:12 and when I see it right, from a much further distance then the image?

I also noticed that from the start of the video all looks quite sharp to me, and when they zoom in more and more it looks as if the surrounding area of the Apollo Lander becomes more and more blurred in some way and even when you can see the landing dishes on the ground very well the surrounding area stays blurred.

Then, what could be responsible for that really strange to me looking blackness around the Lander?

Thanks in advance.



[edit on 1/1/10 by spacevisitor]


jra

posted on Jan, 1 2010 @ 07:19 PM
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Originally posted by spacevisitor
Then, how come that the astronauts footpath are absolutely not visible on that large close in zoomed image but when they zooming in at the video you can see them almost right from the beginning of that video at 0:12 and when I see it right, from a much further distance then the image?


You can't see the foot paths in the first image you posted because it was taken from a higher altitude. It was taken when the LRO was still in its commissioning orbit and the resolution was 1.14m/pixel. When the High Noon at Tranquility Base image was taken. The LRO was in it's mission orbit which is about 50km. The resolution of that image is 53cm/pixel, so it's a much higher resolution, thus the foot paths becoming visible. The higher Sun angle probably also helps a bit to make them more visible as well.


Then, what could be responsible for that really strange to me looking blackness around the Lander?


I'd say is a mix of the LM's shadow and disturbed regolith from the astronauts. The surrounding area looks more blurred because you're looking at it in a youtube video. Try looking at it in the link I posted above or even download the raw .tif image to get a clearer look at it.



posted on Apr, 28 2010 @ 01:58 PM
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Sorry I made my post in the wrong thread.

[edit on 28/4/10 by spacevisitor]



posted on Jun, 2 2011 @ 11:21 AM
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What was the altitude of the sattelite? Earthbound sattelites can take pictures of cars. Newer models can almost resolve a plate.
edit on 2-6-2011 by Cassius666 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jun, 2 2011 @ 12:08 PM
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reply to post by Cassius666
 


LRO's orbit is at an altitude of 50cm. The LROC cameras (it uses two of them to take stereo pictures) are like little telescopes and have primary mirrors 195mm in diameter. With those cameras and at that altitude, it can get a resolution of 50cm per pixel.

Now look at a commercial earth-orbiting satellite, like GeoEye-1. It's capable of a resoltuion of 41cm/pixel. However, its primary mirror is 1,100 mm, over five and a half times the size of the LROC primary mirrors. GeoEye-1 also weighed a total of 3,215 kg at launch, compared to LRO's 1,846 kg. LRO carries many more scientific instruments, as well as the propellant it needed to enter lunar orbit. To send something so large and heavy to the moon requires a very large, and expensive rocket.



posted on Jun, 2 2011 @ 12:11 PM
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reply to post by Cassius666
 

The problem is, there isn't much to relate to in the LROC images.
www.abovetopsecret.com...




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