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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Apollo 17 at Shorty Crater
NASA ^ | 8 Dec, 2025 | Apollo 17 Crew, NASA

Posted on 12/06/2025 2:02:30 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Fifty three years ago, in December of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. This snapshot from another world was taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the lunar valley's floor. The image shows Schmitt next to the lunar rover parked along the south rim of Shorty Crater. That location is near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange lunar soil. The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites. And for now, Cernan and Schmitt are the last to walk on the Moon.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; frretardshateamerica; nasa; shorty
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To: Mr. K
Ok... who took this picture?

We all need to start reading the article before commenting.

This snapshot from another world was taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the lunar valley's floor.

That quote above is the SECOND SENTENCE in the article.

We need to do better here.

21 posted on 12/06/2025 5:19:39 PM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Those were Apollo’s glory days.


22 posted on 12/06/2025 6:08:06 PM PST by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: Freedom4US

Either Harrison Schmitt to a picture of Eugene Cernan or the other way around.

From Apollo 14 onwards, the mission commanders, (in this case Cernan) had red bands around their arms and legs on the external uniform in order to distinguish between who was who on the lunar surface.

Alan Shepard was the Apollo 14 commander.
Dave Scott was the Apollo 15 commander.
John Young was the Apollo 16 commander.
Eugene Cernan was the Apollo 17 commander.


23 posted on 12/06/2025 9:29:19 PM PST by Netz ( and looking for a way ti IMPROVE mankind.)
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To: MtnClimber
Gene Cernan wasn't happy that Brass dictated a scientist (Schmitt) be the lunar module pilot and not the originally assigned veteran astronaut. The beginning of woke NASA.
24 posted on 12/06/2025 9:35:44 PM PST by NavyShoe
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To: Netz

From memory, no doubt. Impressive! Now do all the command module pilots. It might take me a while. Schweikert on 14. I think it was Mattingly on 15.. Ron Evans on 17 … eh, $&@! &! Nobody remembers those guys.


25 posted on 12/07/2025 12:52:35 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: NavyShoe

Cernan was lucky, he was very nearly bumped. He pulled a few stunts, one of them was crashing a helicopter into the Banana river shortly before the mission, he was checking out topless sunbathing babes and flew it right into the water. Oops!

Alan Shepard always struck me as kind of an ass. He hadn’t flown or even trained for almost ten years, and assigned himself on the next lunar mission as soon as he was medically cleared to fly again. That was 13. Somehow he got away with this, though they bumped him up to 14 for more training. I wonder if he would have performed well on 13. I suppose so, but the 13 crew got hosed on that deal.


26 posted on 12/07/2025 1:01:15 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: Freedom4US
I suppose so, but the 13 crew got hosed on that deal.

I dunno, Tom Hanks did alright after Apollo 13.... ;-)

27 posted on 12/07/2025 3:47:42 AM PST by Semper Vigilantis (Always remeber - the cold war was US against a bunch of countries with 'Democratic' in their name.)
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To: Semper Vigilantis

Ha! Hanks looks nothing like Jim Lovell, made no sense. There is an actor who does kinda. Maybe Kevin Costner or somebody like that


28 posted on 12/07/2025 4:19:08 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: Telepathic Intruder; VTenigma

29 posted on 12/07/2025 7:00:35 AM PST by rlmorel (Factio Communistica Sinensis Delenda Est.)
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To: rlmorel

LOL, hadn’t seen that one before.


30 posted on 12/07/2025 7:30:51 AM PST by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
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