NASA: AS11-40-5903. ANNOTATIONS ADDED BY UNKNOWN PARTY.

Note B: If the sun is the only light source on the lunar surface, why is this shadow being cast on Aldrin's space suit?

The shadow on the surface indicates that the sun is behind Aldrin and to his left. Armstrong says that Aldrin was standing in a shallow crater, and so we should interpret ground shadow information accordingly. We can be reasonably assured of our lighting vector by examining the terminator on Aldrin's roughly spherical helmet cover and the light falling on the PLSS (backpack).

This photo is reproduced from a conspiracist web site and differs slightly from the JPEG presented on NASA's web site. This version has been color-enhanced, possibly to emphasize the shadow the conspiracist says should not be there. Fortunately the color enhancement reveals a distinct golden tint. Looking at the reflection in Aldrin's faceplate (Note D) we can see that the lunar module Eagle is in front of Aldrin, brightly illuminated, and roughly abreast of the photographer Armstrong.

The golden Mylar insulation is designed to reflect almost 100% of the light falling on it. This is done to reduce the amount of heat the various parts of the spacecraft absorb. Reflecting nearly all the light means that the lunar module is very bright indeed, quite sufficient to cast a shadow.

Note C: The lighting level fades from bright foreground to a dim background. On earth this is caused by the atmosphere, but on the moon where there is no atmosphere you should be able to see clearly all the way to the horizon.

First of all, the conspiracist mistakes the indistinctness of the horizon with its lack of illumination. Because the earth's atmosphere diffuses sunlight, the earth's surface is, in fact, more evenly illuminated than the lunar surface would be.

NASA: AS11-40-5902

There are several possibilities we can consider in order to explain the observed lighting. The photograph at the left was taken shortly before or after the one above and will help us understand what factors might affect the illumination. Note carefully that the foreground is dark, the section where Aldrin is standing is brightly lit, and the background fades as it does in the first image.

First, we recall that the lunar surface is neither flat nor level. Rather than suppose we are looking at a flat plane which extends for some distance, we can imagine we are looking up a gentle hill, and the "horizon" is merely the crest of the hill. Turning to the second photograph, consider that the lunar module's footpad may be on the crest of a gentle incline so that the area just above it in the photograph is receiving more direct illumination from the sun, which is low on the horizon to our right (Aldrin's left).

Consider also the reflection in Aldrin's faceplate. Just below the item circled in red is an area of very pronounced illumination. As we discussed in the previous section, the lunar module is exceptionally reflective in order to cut down on the heat it absorbs. The pool of light we see in the foreground and immediate background of this photograph could be the combination of direct sunlight and light reflected from the lunar module.

The composition of the lunar surface is not uniform. Just as on earth there are bright patches of soil and darker patches. Consider that the lunar module's descent engine may have sprayed lighter-colored dust to that part of the lunar surface.

Note D: The item circled in red cannot be accounted for. [Richard Hoagland]

Hoagland maintains this circled item is an alien structure on the moon, invisible to the astronauts because of their visors. It's amazing to me how conspiracists whose photo analysis skills don't even extend to lens flare can get so much mileage out of eight pixels.

ALSJ: MARKUS MEHRING, ANNOTATIONS ADDED

A contributor to the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal has enlarged the reflection in the visor, reversed it from its mirror image, and corrected for the spherical distortion of the visor.

I have numbered the interesting items in the reflection in Aldrin's faceplate. This is what they are.

1. Neil Armstrong taking the photo.
2. The United States flag.
3. The solar wind experiment.

Numerous photos show the relationship of the solar wind experiment to the flag on the Apollo 11 landing site. (See the photos below.) The supposedly mysterious object is exactly in the place where we would expect to see the flag. The solar wind experiment is often mistaken for the flag because it appears to be a bulky object atop a thin support. In fact the silvery material of the solar wind collector is reflecting the lunar surface; the shadow cast behind it clearly shows it to be the long, rectangular item we understand to be the solar collector.

NASA: AS11-40-5961

NASA: AS11-40-5886

It's true that the visors were difficult to see through. However, the astronauts reported no significant impairment to their vision. The Apollo 11 astronauts egressed in shadow and were able to see in the shadow quite adequately. When they moved from sunlight to shadow, it took a few minutes for their eyes to adjust. Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmidt even raised his visor on occasion because it was scratched with dust.

So the notion that a mysterious structure bright enough to show up clearly on a photograph was completely invisible to the astronauts (and indeed remains invisible to earth astronomers) is entirely far-fetched.

Comparing the reflection of the horizon with the actual horizon, it is clear this picture was not taken from a camera at chest level. [David Percy]

But as discussed above, the terrain is not flat and level. Even small variations in the surface would compromise this line of reasoning.

Aldrin is clearly standing in a small crater, but even if that crater is only four or five inches (10 cm) deep, and even if Neil Armstrong is elevated no more than four or five inches (10 cm) above the surrounding terrain, that would still put Aldrin's visor level with the chest-mounted camera. The camera mount is actually much higher than the chest. It's at about shoulder level. Armstrong and Aldrin were the same height.

Below are two photos of Neil Armstrong (left) and Buzz Aldrin (right) training with the chest-mounted cameras. You can see how high up on the chest they ride, and how little difference there is between the camera mounted on the RCU and a camera held in the hand at eye level.

NASA: AP11-69-H-670

NASA: KSC-69PC-362