Live data from Hacker News

Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

apod.nasa.gov

11–20 of 48 posts

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#12

Not to feed the conspiracy nuts...but why are the shadows on the left and right of the shot being cast in different directions?

Well, it's a panorama. If the light source (sun) is located in the 'missing' portion of the panorama, then you would expect the different shadows on either side of the missing bit. This is consistent with the apparent shadow under the buggy.

Here's a terrestrial example of the madness that happens to shadows (and geometry in general)with panoramas. It's partly less obvious on the moon since it lacks familiar references.

[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundeena-pier-360-pan...]

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#13

Quote:"Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon." That page was last updated in December of 2007, so add another four years. How many people in this forum can truthfully say this sentence: "Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime." Say it again. Say it again. Say it again until righteous rage makes you want to spit on all of the bureaucrats, activists, and other par…

The moon isn't very impressive at this point. Apollo 11 was 43 years ago. I'm mildly annoyed that humans haven't walked on Mars in my lifetime yet.

In not quite 70 years we went from being very earth bound, to walking on the moon. As such I'm far more disappointed by the extremely modest space flight progress of the last 43 years (particularly given the radical advancements of other helpful technologies).

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#14

Quote:"Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon." That page was last updated in December of 2007, so add another four years. How many people in this forum can truthfully say this sentence: "Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime." Say it again. Say it again. Say it again until righteous rage makes you want to spit on all of the bureaucrats, activists, and other par…

I remember the Apollo 11 landing and the missions preceding it. They were incredibly inspirational to me.

That being said, without coupling space exploration with proper funding of the America's public educational system, K through PhD, NASA should be a small fraction of the National Endowment for the Arts budget.

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#15

Quote:"Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon." That page was last updated in December of 2007, so add another four years. How many people in this forum can truthfully say this sentence: "Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime." Say it again. Say it again. Say it again until righteous rage makes you want to spit on all of the bureaucrats, activists, and other par…

The moon isn't very impressive at this point. Apollo 11 was 43 years ago. I'm mildly annoyed that humans haven't walked on Mars in my lifetime yet. In not quite 70 years we went from being very earth bound, to walking on the moon. As such I'm far more disappointed by the extremely modest space flight progress of the last 43 years (particularly given the radical advancements of other helpful technologies).

gravity is a hard thing to overcome and replicate

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#16

Quote:"Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon." That page was last updated in December of 2007, so add another four years. How many people in this forum can truthfully say this sentence: "Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime." Say it again. Say it again. Say it again until righteous rage makes you want to spit on all of the bureaucrats, activists, and other par…

I can recommend some books about the era that are very good reading.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Man-Moon-Astronaut/dp/0312199... written by Eugene Cernan (the last man on the moon)

http://www.amazon.com/Flight-My-Life-Mission-Control/dp/0452... written by and about mission control

http://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Life-Neil-Armstrong/dp/B001O... about Armstrong but representative of many astronauts (and the only book Armstrong cooperated with)

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Sides-Moon-Story-Space/dp/03123086... about the US and Soviet perspectives written as a collaboration between an astronaut and cosmonaut

Current era:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393339912 This one is also a good read which roughly summarises our current knowledge about having people live for over a year in space (how long it would take to get to Mars). (Spoiler: not much)

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#17

Not to feed the conspiracy nuts...but why are the shadows on the left and right of the shot being cast in different directions?

Well, it's a panorama. If the light source (sun) is located in the 'missing' portion of the panorama, then you would expect the different shadows on either side of the missing bit. This is consistent with the apparent shadow under the buggy. Here's a terrestrial example of the madness that happens to shadows (and geometry in general)with panoramas. It's partly less obvious on the moon since it lacks familiar referenc…

Great reference shot. Thanks.

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#19

Not to feed the conspiracy nuts...but why are the shadows on the left and right of the shot being cast in different directions?

Many features in moon photographs are bizarre, I don't blame the nuts too much...

In this crop from a panorama, for example, the rover seems completely out of proportion, like a miniature: http://cl.ly/3M0v0S3R2M2N3h180Q1W

Compare the size of the footprint and the stones in the left side, to the stones near the rover. Either the moon has some weird rock distributions, the image is highly deformed, or this is a fake :) The fact that for multiple generations we haven't been up there again just contributes to the idea.

Re: Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater

#20

Quote:"Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon." That page was last updated in December of 2007, so add another four years. How many people in this forum can truthfully say this sentence: "Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime." Say it again. Say it again. Say it again until righteous rage makes you want to spit on all of the bureaucrats, activists, and other par…

The moon isn't very impressive at this point. Apollo 11 was 43 years ago. I'm mildly annoyed that humans haven't walked on Mars in my lifetime yet. In not quite 70 years we went from being very earth bound, to walking on the moon. As such I'm far more disappointed by the extremely modest space flight progress of the last 43 years (particularly given the radical advancements of other helpful technologies).

Due to SpaceX and Elon Musk alone I think we're going to see mankind set foot on Mars in our lifetime.
Post reply on HN