Close-Up of Crater Copernicus
This photograph was made as part of the Lunar Orbiter program, a series of five unmanned spacecraft launched into orbit around the Moon in 1966 and 1967. Each spacecraft was equipped with a sophisticated imaging system provided by Eastman Kodak, which consisted of a dual-lens camera, film processing and handling units, and a readout scanner for transmitting the images back to Earth. The main purpose of the program was to select lunar landing sites for NASA’s manned Apollo Missions.
Over the course of one year, the Lunar Orbiters photographed 99 percent of the Moon’s surface, producing more than 2,000 images of unprecedented clarity and precision. After the film was processed on board the spacecraft, it was scanned in strips and transmitted to Earth via radio. Technicians at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, created the final images by transferring the strips onto sheets of large-format film, from which prints were produced. This print comes from the collection of George Keene, an optical engineer who headed the team responsible for reconstructing the Lunar Orbiter images in Rochester.
Over the course of one year, the Lunar Orbiters photographed 99 percent of the Moon’s surface, producing more than 2,000 images of unprecedented clarity and precision. After the film was processed on board the spacecraft, it was scanned in strips and transmitted to Earth via radio. Technicians at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, created the final images by transferring the strips onto sheets of large-format film, from which prints were produced. This print comes from the collection of George Keene, an optical engineer who headed the team responsible for reconstructing the Lunar Orbiter images in Rochester.
Artwork Details
- Title: Close-Up of Crater Copernicus
- Artist: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Printer: Eastman Kodak Co. (American)
- Date: November 23, 1966
- Medium: Gelatin silver prints
- Dimensions: Image: 14 in. × 13 7/8 in. (35.5 × 35.2 cm)
Mount: 18 × 16 in. (45.7 × 40.6 cm) - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.513
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Man Ray
1920
Man Ray
1923
Gordon H. Coster
ca. 1935
Peter Hujar
1966
Lisette Model
1939–40, printed 1940s
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.