PIX4598153: Apollo 17: orange soil on the Moon - Apollo 17: the orange soil - View of orange soil, rich in zinc, probably of volcanic origin. Station 4, near the Shorty Crater. 12/12/1972. A view of the area at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing the now highly - publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crew members found on the moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus - Littrow landing site. The tripod - like object is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical sun angle, scale and lunar color. The gnomon is one of the Apollo lunar geology hand tools. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) “” Challenger”” to explore the Taurus - Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) “” America”” in lunar orbit. Schmitt was the crew man who first spotted the orange soil. 12 Dec 1972 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4598162: Apollo 17: H.Schmitt on the Moon - Apollo 17: Harrison Schmitt and the US flag - Harrison Schmitt near the American flag. Land visible above the flag. 11/12/1972. The photo was taken at the Taurus - Littrow landing site. The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet earth in the distant background / Bridgeman Images
PIX4602972: ATV Johannes Kepler - The Johannes Kepler automatic module seen from the International Space Station (ISS). ATV Johannes Kepler, intended to supply the station with various equipment, docked at the station on 24 February 2011. Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the European Space Agency's “Johannes Kepler” Automated Transfer Vehicle - 2 (ATV - 2) approaches the International Space Station. Docking of the two spacecraft occurred at 10:59 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 24, 2011. A crescent moon is visible at upper right / Bridgeman Images
PIX4606120: Probe Luna 16 - Luna 16 lifts off - Luna 16 was the first sovietic probe to land on the Moon, take samples of lunar soil and bring them back to Earth. This mission took place from 12 to 24 September 1970. The automated Soviet Luna 16 probe's upper stage blasts off with 100 grams of precious lunar soil that will be studied by Soviet scientists on Earth.This space probe successfully completed an Earth - Moon - Earth mission from September 12, 1970 to September 24, 1970 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4606136: LRO Probe - Artist View - LRO - Artist view - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a space probe of NASA that will be put into orbit around the Moon in order to map it and identify potential landing sites for sending a human crew around 2020. LRO is expected to be launched in June 2009 with LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite). Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in Moon orbit. LRO objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology to prepare future human exploration of the Moon. It should be launched in June 2009 with LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) payload aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida / Bridgeman Images
PIX4606147: LRO Probe - Artist View - LRO - Artist view - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a space probe of NASA that will be put into orbit around the Moon in order to map it and identify potential landing sites for sending a human crew around 2020. LRO is expected to be launched in June 2009 with LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite). Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in Moon orbit. LRO objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology to prepare future human exploration of the Moon. It should be launched in June 2009 with LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) payload aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida / Bridgeman Images
PIX4606152: LCROSS Probe - Artist View - LCROSS - Artist view - LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) is a space probe of NASA whose aim is to discover the presence of water ice in a crater perpetually in the shade of the Sun at the southern pole of the Moon. LCROSS must analyze the impact created by the top floor of its Atlas 5 launcher precipitates in this crater. LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) should be launched in June 2009 with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) payload aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. LCROSS will seek a definitive answer about the presence of water ice at the lunar south pole using the spent second stage Atlas Centaur rocket that will impact on the moon's surface / Bridgeman Images
PIX4628057: Total Eclipse of Sun. 01/08/2008 - Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 august 01 - Composite of 23 images showing the solar crown, the ash light (the Moon lit by the Earth) and the stars. Solar corona, Earth - lit Moon and stars It is a composition of 23 images showing the solar corona in very high resolution and also the Earth - lit Moon and stars up to 11 magnitude. The brightest star (4 magn.) is slightly blurred by the motion of the Sun during the eclipse. The position of the Moon represents the situation 54 seconds after the second contact (18:04:29 local time in Mongolia). Both the display of the solar corona and the lunar surface in the resulting image are beyond the ability of human vision during the eclipse / Bridgeman Images
PIX4628115: Total Eclipse of Sun from 01/08/2008 - Rosary - Total Solar Eclipse Sequence - The different phases of the total eclipse of Sun from 1st August 2008. The bright spot at the top left near the tree is Venus Planet, Mercury is the weak spot near the Sun. Weizixia, Xinjiang, China. Total Solar Eclipse sequence taken from Weizixia, Xinjiang, China on Aug 01, 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4628172: Total Eclipse de Soleil. 01/08/2008 - Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 august 01 - All phases of the total eclipse of Sun from August 1st 2008. One image every 5 minutes before and after Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 august 01 seen in Mongolia. The different phases are shown in this composite of images taken every 5 minutes / Bridgeman Images
PIX4628302: Partial Eclipse of Soleil 04/01/2011 - Solar Eclipse - January 4th, 2011 - The different phases of the partial eclipse of Soleil of January 4th, 2011 seen in France. Partial solar eclipse phases seen in France. Reihenaufnahme der partiellen Sonnenfinsternis vom 4. January 2011 in den franz. Alpen on 1850m (La Rosiere) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4586991: The Moon, Venus and Jupiter - Crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter - The Moon and Planets Venus (bottom) and Jupiter (right) seen on 1 December 2008. A beautiful conjunction between the crescent Moon with Earthshine, brilliant Venus, and mighty Jupiter is seen in the fading twilight on the first day of December, 2008. These images were shot with a simple zoom lens on a digital camera on a fixed tripod. The Moon, at magnitude -7.9, is a waxing crescent, 4 days old. The crescent is lit by the direct light of the Sun. The “” dark”” side of the Moon can also be seen, lit by Earthshine - sunlight reflected from the day side of the Earth. Jupiter, at right, shines at magnitude -2.0. Venus, at the bottom of the image, shines at magnitude -4.1 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587227: Crescent Moon -Venus-Jupiter - Crescent Moon Venus and Jupiter - Venus at the top left, top right Jupiter (right next to a galileen satellite, Ganymede, and the star Spica, from the Virgin, in the middle left. The crescent Moon with Earthsine visible, sets in the twilight along with the brightest planet, Venus, and the largest planet, Jupiter on September 6, 2005. Also visible are Spica, Alpha Virginis, and 51 (Theta) Virginis. One can also see Ganymede, the brightest of Jupiter's moons, just to the upper left of the planet, close by. Ganymede shines at magnitude 4.6 and would normally be easily visible to the unaided eye except for its proximity to brilliant Jupiter / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587250: Conjunction Moon Jupiter and Mercury - Moon crescent with Jupiter and Mercury - Conjunction between the Moon and the planets Jupiter and Mercury (under Jupiter near the horizon). 29/12/2008 Crescent moon with Jupiter and faint Mercury (below Jupiter) seen above the horizon. December 29, 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587280: Telescope, Venus, Crescent of Moon and Mercury - Telescope, Venus, Moon Crescent and Mercury - Telescope in silhouette at dusk. In the sky are visible the planet Venus on the top left, the Moon, and Mercury on the right. May 18, 2007. A telescope in twilight with planet Venus (top left), crescent Moon and Mercury to its right. 2007 May 18 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587821: Conjunction Lune-Pleiades -06/2006 - Moon and Pleiades conjunction-06/2006 - The Moon in conjunction with the Pleiades cluster. 23 June 2006, Sainte Marine (Finistere-France). Moon in close conjunction with Pleiades star cluster. June 23 2006, Sainte Marine (Finistere-France) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587863: The Moon in the Pleiades and Venus-06/2006 - Moon in Pleiades with Venus-06/2006 - The Moon in conjunction with the Pleiades cluster. On the right, near the horizon, Venus rises. June 23, 2006, Sainte Marine (Finistere-France). Moon in close conjunction with Pleiades star cluster. Venus is rising at right. June 23 2006, Sainte Marine (Finistere-France) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587917: Conjunction Lune Pleiades et clouages noctulescents - Moon near Pleiades with noctilucent clouds - La Lune cendree pres de l'amas des Pleiades seen in Brittany on 30 June 2008. In the sky, clouds of high altitude, very rarely visible in France. Moon near the Pleiades star cluster with noctilucent clouds. These high altitude clouds are usually seen in summer months but nearer the poles than France. Brittany, June 30 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4587980: Conjunction Lune Pleiades et clouages noctulescents - Moon near Pleiades with noctilucent clouds - La Lune cendree pres de l'amas des Pleiades seen in Brittany on 30 June 2008. In the sky, clouds of high altitude, very rarely visible in France. Moon near the Pleiades star cluster with noctilucent clouds. These high altitude clouds are usually seen in summer months but nearer the poles than France. Brittany, June 30 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4588080: The Moon, Saturn, Mars and Regulus - Moon, Saturn, Mars and Regulus - First crescent of Moon and Planets Saturn (top), Mars and Star Regulus alignees. Lake Mooselookmeguntic, Maine, USA. July 5, 2008. Saturn, Mars and Regulus viewed across Mooselookmeguntic Lake near Rangeley, Maine. The bright star above the crescent moon is the wonderful double Algeiba in Leo. July 5, 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4588105: Moon Venus and Saturn 16/10/2009 - Moon Venus and Saturn - October 16 2009 - The moon in crescent is like its beautiful ash light. Venus just got up right of Benodet Lighthouse. Saturn is higher to the right. Sainte-Marine, Finistere. Crescent Moon with earthshine. Venus has just risen on the right of the lighthouse of Benodet. Saturn is on the upper right. Sainte-Marine, Finistere, Brittany / Bridgeman Images