4.8.7 - Apollo 16 Day 7 - EVA-2
As with the first day out on the surface, we have to wait until the end of the 2nd EV, with a similar sequence showing Earth broadcast live on TV, and again thanks to the transcript noting Ed Fendell’s camera work we can place it very precisely in terms of time at 23:27 GMT on April 22nd.
Figure 4.8.7.1 shows a screenshot from this broadcast.
When the crew woke up before EVA-2 they were actually broadcasting to Australia’s Honeysuckle Creek, but by the time this TV view happened they had Houston in sight. It’s pretty obvious that the crescent Earth is the same size as it should be according to Stellarium, and the arrows in figure 4.8.24 show that the areas of cloud and clear are matched in the ESSA and Apollo TV view. As usual with this view, we are looking at ESSA track 3, which is orbit 4303, commenced at 20:02 on the 22nd. If you don’t think the view shows the same weather, then you are of course welcome to provide your own interpretation.
It’s also worth noting that the satellite image published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune has the US outline misplaced. The weather system is definitely not in the Atlantic, and you might wish to compare with with the previous day’s example to show that it is a development of the weather system in place on the 21st, and will develop into a slightly different one by the 23rd.
Speaking of which, click the link below to see the next one.
Figure 4.8.7.2: Screenshot from TV broadcast at the end of EVA-2
As before the image quality isn’t crystal sharp, but we’ll have a look at what we can make out in terms of atmospheric detail in figure 4.8.7.2.
Figure 4.8.7.2: Scerenshot of Earth from EVA-2 compared with ESSA satellite data, 3D reconstruction, SkySafari time depiction, and satellite image from the 22nd published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune on the 23rd.