239. [Apollo 11] ORBITAL SUNRISE OVER TRANQUILLITY BASE Buzz Aldrin, 16-24 July 1969 Printed 1969. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS11-37-5437]. Numbered "NASA AS11-37-5437" in red in the top margin, with "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context Approaching Tranquillity—Apollo 11's first look at the landing site. One of the most reproduced images of the mission, this photograph was taken as Apollo 11 approached Tranquillity Base on its fourth orbit of the Moon. As Aldrin marvelled at the scene, Armstrong radioed, "Man, this is really something, you ought to look at this. You want to watch our approach into the landing site," while Aldrin exclaimed, "And I got a beautiful view of the whole landing area." (See mission transcript). The view looks west through the Eagle's window with an 80mm lens, capturing the moment as Armstrong and Aldrin activated the Lunar Module while still docked to Columbia. The spacecraft was nearing the nearside terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—just as the Sun began rising over Tranquillity Base, visible near the shadow line slightly right of centre. The jagged shape on the left is one of the LM's thruster engines. The prominent 22-km-wide Crater Maskelyne appears in the lower right. (0.2°N / 24.5°E.) From the mission transcript (photograph taken at T+082:56:50 after launch): 082:54:01 Armstrong: Man, this is really something, you ought to look at this. You want to watch our approach into the landing site. You got to watch right through this window. We're coming over - we just passed Mount Marilyn. We're coming up on Maskelyne series here - straight out ahead, coming into the landing area. 082:54:23 Collins: Houston, we're holding inertial a little while to study the approach to the landing zone. [...] 082:56:50 Aldrin: Houston, this is Apollo 11, in the Eagle. Apollo 11 in the Eagle. And I got a beautiful view of the whole landing area. Literature LIFE, 11 August 1969; National Geographic, December 1969, pp. 752-753 TIME, 8 August 1969, p. 21 Moon: Man's Greatest Adventure, Thomas, ed., pp. 188-189 Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon, Reynolds, p. 138 Apollo Expeditions to the Moon (NASA SP-350), Cortright, ed., p. 210