Spacelog Apollo 11

No, that's fine. I just wanted to confirm that. Until 79 10, then we'll breeze around here in orbit.

Roger. And we've got an observation you can make if you have some time up there. There's been some lunar transient events reported in the vicinity of Aristarchus. Over.

Roger. We just went into spacecraft darkness. Until then, why, we couldn't see a thing down below us. But now, with earthshine, the visibility is pretty fair. Looking back behind me, now, I can see the corona from where the Sun has just set. And we'll get out the map and see what we can find around Aristarchus

We're coming upon Aristarchus right now —

— Okay. Aristarchus is at angle Echo 9 on your ATO chart. It's about 394 miles north of track. However, at your present altitude, which is about 167 nautical miles, it ought to be over—that is within view of your horizon: 23 degrees north, 47 west. Take a look and see if you see anything worth noting up there. Over.

Both looking.

Houston, 11. It might help us a little bit if you could give us a time of crossing of 45 west.

Say again, please, 11.

You might give us a time of crossing of 45 west, and then we'll know when to start searching for Aristarchus.

Roger. You'll be crossing 45 west at 77 04 10 or about 40 seconds from now. Over. Thirty seconds from now.

Okay.

Apollo 11, when we lose the S-band, we'd like to get OMNI Charlie from you. And update my last, that 77 04 was the time when Aristarchus should become visible over your horizon. 77 12 is point of closest approach south of it. Over.

Okay. That sounds better because we just went by Copernicus a little bit ago.

Roger. We show you at about 27 degrees longitude right now.

Righto.

Houston, when a star sets up here, there's no doubt about it. One instant it's there, and the next instant it's just completely gone.

Apollo 11, this is Houston. We request you use OMNI Charlie at this time. Over.

Okay. Going to OMNI Charlie.

Houston, Apollo 11.

Apollo 11, this is Houston. Go ahead.

Roger. Seems to me since we know orbits so precisely, and know where the stars are so precisely, and the time of setting of a star or a planet to so very fine a degree, that this might be a pretty good means of measuring the altitude of the horizon …

Roger.

Hey, Houston. I'm looking north up toward Aristarchus now, and I can't really tell at that distance whether I am really looking at Aristarchus, but there's an area that is considerably more illuminated than the surrounding area. It just has—seems to have a slight amount of fluorescence to it. A crater can be seen, and the area around the crater is quite bright.

Roger, 11. We copy.

Houston, Apollo 11. Looking up at the same area now and it does seem to be reflecting some of the earthshine. I'm not sure whether it was worked out to be about zero phase to—Well, at least there is one wall of the crater that seems to be more illuminated than the others, and that one—if we are lining up with the Earth correctly, does seem to put it about at zero phase. That area is definitely lighter than anything else that I could see out this window. I am not sure that I am really identifying any phosphorescence, but that definitely is lighter than anything else in the neighborhood.

11, this is Houston. Can you discern any difference in color of the illumination, and is that an inner or an outer wall from the crater? Over.

Roger. That's an inner wall of the crater.

No, there doesn't appear to be any color involved in it, Bruce.

Apollo 11, this is Houston. Over.

Go ahead, Houston.

11, this is Houston. We're targeting—planning to make the LOI 2 burn now using bank A only. We'll have the PAD and everything for you next time around. Just trying to economise a little on bank B. Bank B is holding, though.

Apollo 11, this is Houston. Over.

Go ahead.

11, Houston. In order to improve the communications a little bit here, we'd like to try to get you on the high gain antenna. We're recommending a pitch angle of 0, yaw 355—I say again 355, the track switch to MANUAL, and wide beamwidth. Over.

Okay. You ready to switch to high gain now?