A spacecraft circling the moon has snapped the sharpest photos ever of the tracks and trash left behind by Apollo astronauts during their visits from 1969 to 1972.
Images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from 13 to 15 miles up show the astronauts' paths when they walked on the moon, as well as ruts left by a moon buggy. Experts could even identify the backpacks astronauts pitched out of their lunar landers before they returned to Earth.
"What we're seeing is a trail," said Arizona State University geology professor Mark Robinson, the orbiter's chief scientist.
"It's totally awesome.""
Isn't it cool, when chief scientists get quoted saying something like, "It's totally awesome?"
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Apollo Moon Missions Rediscovered: Uncovering the Tracks and Treasures Left Behind
Recently, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured the most impressive photos to date of the Apollo astronauts' tracks and the debris they left behind during their expeditions from 1969 to 1972.
From an altitude of 13 to 15 miles, the images showcase the pathways that the astronauts traveled during their moonwalks, as well as the tracks left by their moon buggy.
Additionally, the experts could identify the backpacks that the astronauts tossed away from their lunar landers before returning to Earth.
"This trail is absolutely incredible," expressed Mark Robinson, the orbiter's chief scientist, and professor of geology at Arizona State University. "It's totally awesome."
It's amazing how far we have come as a society to witness such groundbreaking achievements. Even more thrilling is the fact that we continue to discover new aspects of these historic moments in time.