APOD: 2026 September 12 – Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
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Explanation: Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this image of the surface of the Moon . It was taken on July 20, 1969 , by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong , the first to walk on the lunar surface. Pictured is the mission’s lunar module, the Eagle, and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is unfurling a long sheet of foil also known as the Solar Wind Composition Experiment . Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles streaming outward in the solar wind, catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. Along with 22 kilograms of moon rocks and lunar soil samples, the solar wind collector was returned for analysis in earthbound laboratories . APOD’s main NASA site is moving : From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow’s picture: noctilucent comet
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