Danny Robb

@inverting-vision.bsky.social

562 Followers 771 Following

Writing about history of science, exploration, and technology. Interested in photography + robotics in lunar and planetary science, oceanography, cryosphere. Regular contributor JSTOR Daily. Work in Aeon, Atlas Obscura. History Blog: invertingvision.com

A black-and-white photograph, the first "Earthrise" picture, taken by Lunar orbiter 1. A crescent Earth sits just above the cratered grey curve of the lunar surface. Edge data from the Kodak film can be seen at the bottom of the image, and artifacts from the in-orbit development process.
An issue of National Geographic opened to the title page for an article called "The Moon Close Up" by Eugene M Shoemaker, chief, astro geology branch, u. S. Geological survey. A picture of the catered lunar surface taken by ranger 7 spans both pages.
The front cover of National Geographic in december 1969. It features a picture of buzz aldrin in his spacesuit on the lunar surface. The title text reads: "the first explorers on the moon, the incredible story of Apollo in five parts"
The large curve of the moons surface takesup the left half of the image, with many craters on the far side visible. Crater tsiolkovsky is a large dark patch on an otherwise bright lunar surface, with a small bright island that is its central peak. A small half-earth sits above the lunar horizon.
A black-and-white globe, annotated with information about Ranger VIII impact. A line shows the "Hyperbolic Encounter Trajectory," and squares on the lunar surface show areas caught by the camera.
A ranger photo taken moments before impact with the lunar surface. There are craters visible, and some are within a blue rectangle. Static fills a vertical portion on the right of the image.
A screenshot of a paragraph from Oran Nicks' book Far Travellers. It reads: "Lunar Orbiter was a less than imaginative name for one of NASA's most successful automated projects. After all the hoopla that followed the naming of Ranger, I was somewhat dismayed that a generic label like Lunar Orbiter was affixed to the lunar photographic mission. This was the name used by Langley engineers who were defining the project, and although I registered concern with Ed Cortright, who had been responsible for studies and agency policies recommending logical evolutionary names, he decided that it would be better to go along with the new project team. Names like Pioneer, Mariner, Voyager, Surveyor, and even Ranger sounded to me like space exploring machines; Lunar Orbiter had all the romance of calling a favorite pet "Pet."
A wider look at the lunar orbiter IV shot, the cresent moon and cresent earth are in the top half of the image, and edge data can be seen on the bottom.
A large crescent Moon sits in the foreground, a small cresent earth above it. Crater Tsiolkovskiy can be seen on the illuminated lunar surface.
A large crater fills the shot. The top rim of the crater has shadows reveals a complex terraced wall. The central peak is revealed to be split across the middle. Along the top of the image are edge data indicators, which were imprinted on the film. They contain numbers and slanted horizontal bars that indicate the framlet number and other information about the shot. At the bottom edge of the crater are artifacts from the development process creating a small collection of irregular white holes in the image.
A photograph of the Moon from Artemis II showing the terminator, the line between night and day. The shadows near the terminator reveal the complexity of the craters in the region, as they give way to the vast grey surface of the moon. More craters sit in the sunlight, one near the center has a prominent mountain peak in the center: Kovalevskaya.
A lunar orbiter image showing the lunar surface, lightly cratered. A red square shows the Ranger VIII impact site, which can be barely seen.
A dim image of Mare Orientale and parts of the surrounding basin, upside down. There are some craters visible around the image, and a large flat mare with a distinctive crater in the middle.
A section of the proceedings of the XIth IAU General Assembly. It reads: "Resolution No. 1 Proposed by the Executive Committee/Proposée par le Comité ExécutIf Viewing with great concern the grave danger that some future space projects might seriously interfere with astronomical observations in the optical as well as in the radio domain, and believing that a degree of contamination of space which at the present time would be hardly detectable, might, if long-lived, well be disastrous to future observations with improved techniques, and maintaining that no group has the right to change the Earth's environment in any significant way without full international study and agreement; the International Astronomical Union gives clear warning of the grave moral and material consequences which could stem from a disregard of the future of astronomical progress, and appeals to ail Governments concerned with launching space experiments which could possibly affect astronomical research to consult with the International Astronomical Union before undertaking such experiments and to refrain from launching until it is established beyond doubt that no damage will be done to astronomical research."
A wide shot from Artemis II. Glare to the left shines out toward a crescent Earth to the right. Particles are floating in the glare.
Illustrated diagrams showing russell's globe from the back and from the side. Script between them reads "Back and Profile of the SELENOGRAPHIA invented by John Russell." At the top is a look at the gear mechanism near the north pole, which has inscriptions of numbers and some symbols. A label reads "The top wheel view'd from above on a larger scale"
A view from the back of russell's globe near the north. Part of the inscription is seen on the bottom left corner, while gears sit above the north pole. Under the golden apparatus, you can faintly see some craters.
A look at the edge of Russell's globe. A lot of it is covered by vertical gold plates marked with numbers indicating latitude. many Craters are clearly visible.
A look at the northwestern limb of Russel's globe. Lots of craters can be seen, including two near the middle of the image that show dark interiors. The one on the left is likely Endymion crater, the one on the right Mare Humboldtianum
The back of Russell's globe. The surface of the moon is blank, except for inscriptions. Most of it is covered by a gold-plated apparatus, circular in the middle with four arms wrapping the globe. There are several knobs and dials around the apparatus.
A globe of the Moon mounted in a complex golden mechanism. A tiny globe of the earth is mounted on an arm on the near side of the Moon.
walter cronkite in a suit and tie, with a black background of stars behind him, looks at the camera
Jim Lovell sits in a chair in the center of the frame across from an interviewer. Lovell is holding up a blurry black-and-white photograph framed in black. In this shot he is leaning back with pride, his hand resting gently on the photograph
An image of Jim Lovell in a classroom before Apollo. he is wearing a tie, and has a binder open on the table in front of him. his hand is raised, and in motion, as he looks off to the right.
A map of lunar landing sites in Mare Tranquillitatis. There is a large black rectangle in the center of the image. within are two red squares, one marked IIP-6, one marked II P-2 in bold lettering
A triangluar wedge of the Moon appears suspended in blackness. The top arc of the triangle is the horizon. The bottom slash of the triangle is the shadow of a window. Next to the window on the bottom of the iamge, you can see the ridges of Maskelyne F.
An image of a pair of craters with a dark shadow. The image is fairly blown out around the left and bottom edges.
An oblique view of crater maskelyne F. You can see its ridgeline near the horizon, which cuts the image in half. The top half of the image is the black of space. it is closer still.
An oblique view of crater maskelyne F. You can see its ridgeline near the horizon, which cuts the image in half. The top half of the image is the black of space.
A rectangular map from an Apollo site selection committee document. A the top is a label reading "Apollo 11 SET C SITES ACCEPTED AT LAST SSB." On the map there are 5 sites labled, from left to right, Site 5, Site 4, Site 3, Site 2, Site 1. They are labeled with longitude and latitude coordinates.
A cropped version of the lunar orbiter image. It shows the same patterns of mare and highlands seen in Jim Lovell's image
A close-up of the craters seen under the circle in Jim Lovell's image. A cluster of three crater in the bottom right points up toward a triangular formation
another close-up of the blurry black-and-white photograph of the lunar surface held by Jim Lovell. All you can really see are patterns of light patches on the left side of the image, and darker patches in the middle.
A full lunar orbiter image, showing dark lunar mare, light lunar highlands to the left, and a half-hidden crater on the right side of the image
A map of lunar landing sites in Mare Tranquillitatis. There is a large black rectangle in the center of the image. within are two red squares, one marked IIP-6, one marked II P-2 in bold lettering
a close up of the black-and-white photograph held by Lovell. It shows black grid lines, with a black circle near the top of the image. craters are visible on the lunar mare, and the shot is frame by lighter areas of lunar highlands.
A close-up of Jim Lovell looking at a black-and-white photograph of the lunar surface in a black frame
Jim Lovell sits in a chair in the center of the frame across from an interviewer. Lovell is holding up a blurry black-and-white photograph framed in black.
A photograph showing the S-IVB stage of Apollo 8 face-on, suspended in the blackness of space.
A lunar map showing Apollo landing site candidates in red squares, with text next to each square reading "IIP-13, IIIP-11, IIP-8, IIP-6, IIP-2"
A screenshot of text. It reads: 31 Against War Even the best weapon is an unhappy tool, hateful to living things. So the follower of the Way stays away from it. Weapons are unhappy tools, not chosen by thoughtful people, to be used only when there is no choice, and with a calm, still mind, without enjoyment. To enjoy using weapons is to enjoy killing people, and to enjoy killing people is to lose your share in the common good. It is right that the murder of many people be mourned and lamented. It is right that a victor in war be received with funeral ceremonies.
a screenshot of text. It reads" 30 Not Making War A Taoist wouldn’t advise a ruler to use force of arms for conquest; that tactic backfires. Where the army marched grow thorns and thistles. After the war come the bad harvests. Good leaders prosper, that’s all, not presuming on victory. They prosper without boasting, or domineering, or arrogance, prosper because they can’t help it, prosper without violence. Things flourish then perish. Not the Way. What’s not the Way soon ends.
A diagram labeled "Fig. 8. Provenance of material ejected from Copernicus." It shows that material shot upward at steep angles was likely "ejected into escape trajectories," while material on a shallower angle was "widely dispersed over surface of the moon," then at shallower angles became "secondary impact crater and ray forming fragments."
An illustration with a caption reading "Fig. 1. Ejection pattern at Teapot ESS nuclear explosion crater." The illustration shows a roughly circular crater rim, surrounded by dots and lines, showing rays extending outward from the center.
A page from Manuscripta Medica by Carl Linnaeus. Below some lines of hand-written text is an illustration of a bat, with wings stretched out. The body of the bat is furry, and it has large ears. The bat's feet are very poorly drawn, but the skeletal structure in the wings is rendered in very neat lines.
A color photograph showing the right wing of a C130 sitting on the ice in Antarctica. A person stands below one of the two propellers. Some trailers and tents appear in the background, and behind them a mountain looms.
A photo from the Apollo 17 prep. Geologist Farouk El-Baz is on the right, looking at lunar maps with Apollo 17 astronaut Ronald Evans. Robert Overmyer sits across from them on the left. One large map covers the entire table between them, and curls up on the right of the image. Other documents are strewn across it. El-Baz leans on the table on his left hand, and his right hand holds a pen. His right hand is clearly in motion as he points to something on the map. Evans is leaning on the table, looking intently at the spot, as does Overmyer. To their right, in the foreground of the image, is a lunar globe. On the wall behind them is a large lunar map, with a rectangle inscribed across the equatorial region.
A quote from Carl Sagan's book Broca's Brain. It reads: "In exchange for freedom of inquiry, scientists are obliged to explain their work. If science is considered a closed priesthood, too difficult and arcane for the average person to understand, the dangers of abuse are greater. But if science is a topic of general interest and concern--if both its delights and its social consequences are discussed regularly and competently in the schools, the press, and at the dinner table--we have greatly improved our prospects for leaning how the world really is and for improving both it and us."
A quote from Charles Darwin's book Voyage of the Beagle. It reads: I was always amused, when overtaking one of these great monsters as it was quietly pacing along, to see how suddenly, the instant I passed, it would draw in its head and legs, and uttering a deep hiss fall to the ground with a heavy sound, as if struck dead. I frequently got on their backs, and then, upon giving a few raps on the hinder part of the shell, they would rise up and walk away; but I found it very difficult to keep my balance."
A black and white photo of Alan Bean on the lunar surface, standing next to the Surveyor III lander.
On Apollo 12, astronaut Al Bean stands next to the Surveyor III spacecraft, and reaches out an arm to jiggle the spacecraft. Behind him, sitting perfectly on the moon's horizon against the black sky, stands the Lunar Landing Module Intrepid. Source link: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/static/history/alsj/a12/AS12-48-7134.jpg
Text from the minutes of the Apollo Site Selection Board Meeting of June 3, 1969. It reads: "B. Milwitzky-HQ/MAL, discussed the scientific and technological advantages which would result from the investigation of a Surveyor spacecraft. he noted in particular that the spacecraft can provide engineering information relevant to extended lunar stays, especially to a lunar base. Scientifically Surveyors can increase mission return by allowing a high degree of mission pre-planning of details of surface operations. Milwitzky noted that the following general points can be made for the Surveyors: 1. Examination of spacecraft surface for effect of: a. micrometeoroid eroson b. physical or chemical changes due to solar and cosmic radiation c. effects of many cycles of thermal stress due to lunar day/night temperature extremes." source link: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/documents/apollo-site-selection/Jun-3-1969.pdf
A black and white photograph shows the lunar surface from Lunar Orbiter III. The image is labeled with white text and arrows. Arrows point to craters and rocks labeled A, B, C, and D. These are indicated as "FEATURES SEEN IN SURVEYOR PICTURES." A small diagram of the Surveyor spacecraft is labeled" SURVEYOR III (TO SCALE). Other arrows indicated north, south, east, and west. North is pointing toward the top left of the image. Source link: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19680006256
A black and white photograph from the Lunar Orbiter III Boeing contractor report to NASA. It shows the cratered lunar surface, and a small rectangle indicates the planned landing site for Surveyor III. A label underneath the image states: "Figure 3-28b: Position of Surveyor III Landing Shown in Lunar Orbiter Frame M154" Source: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19680006256
A black and white photograph of the lunar surface taken by the Lunar Orbiter III team. In the middle is a red circle indicating the position of Surveyor I. Full credit link: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/lo3_h194_1.html
A black and white photograph from Lunar Orbiter V, frame 5076_h3. It shows heavy cratering on the left side of the image, and more sparse cratering throughout the rest of the image. A vertical black strip splits the image just right of center, and artifact of processing. A curving horizontal scattering of spotty "lace" passes through the image, also an artifact of processing.
Two black and white images next to each other, each showing the same location on the lunar surface. On the left, there is no lunar landing module. On the right, it appears in the center of the image.
A black and white image showing the cratered lunar surface in 1967 from Lunar Orbiter V. A green circle indicates the location where Apollo 11 would land two years later.