Apollo Discussions > The Hoax Theory
Rover Tracks and AS-47-6919
BDL:
Hi, it's been a while since I've been here last. Recently some conspiracists on Twitter have used this site (http://www.geschichteinchronologie.com/atmosphaerenfahrt/mondfotos/mondauto04-apollo-16-ENGL-hall.html) as a reference in support of the conspiracy theory. Most of the latter portion of the page is just regarding shadows and is unconvincing, but I'm at a loss at explaining an apparently disappeared rover tracks or how some apparently don't align with the tires.
Additionally, a photo from Apollo 12 was also posited showing purportedly unexplainable reflections in the visor of the astronaut. I don't know how to attach photos right here in the text area so I'll just place it below in the attachment area. (The first file link doesn't work, sorry.)
The questions are:
What are those 2 light beams in the reflection? Are they supposed to be the experiments right below him or are they supposed to be the other astronaut?
If they're both the experiment directly below him then why isn't the astronaut in the visor reflection?
If one of them is the astronaut then why doesn't one or more of the experiments show up in the visor?
What is that loose white flap on the partly obscuring the upper-right part of the visor?
What is that brown spot on the ground next to the astronaut (holding the camera)?
What is that smaller brown spot next to the shadow of the other astronaut being photographed?
Why isn't the astronaut's (who is the photographer) shadow visible in the visor?
There's 2 balls of light in the visor, one big light (presumably the moon) but there's on in the middle of the visor that's somewhat smaller; what is it?
Thank you!
Halcyon Dayz, FCD:
Let's start by looking at a better version:
AS12-47-6919
BDL:
(By the way, in the last question I meant "presumably the sun")
gwiz:
Here's my interpretation.
Main items reflected in the visor are the astronauts left arm and the camera attached to his chest. Spherical reflectors exaggerate size of items close to them compared with distant items.
White thing upper right is a sunshade, slides up and down to shade view to side as required.
Brown spots are probably lit by reflections from gold foil into shadowed areas.
Astronaut and his shadow don't show up well in visor reflection because they are small and in much the same direction as the sun. Sun reflection has flared to be much bigger than the actual sun disc.
Second bright spot might be sun glint on the upper part of the LM.
Jason Thompson:
--- Quote from: BDL on December 18, 2020, 08:01:07 PM ---Hi, it's been a while since I've been here last. Recently some conspiracists on Twitter have used this site (http://www.geschichteinchronologie.com/atmosphaerenfahrt/mondfotos/mondauto04-apollo-16-ENGL-hall.html) as a reference in support of the conspiracy theory. Most of the latter portion of the page is just regarding shadows and is unconvincing, but I'm at a loss at explaining an apparently disappeared rover tracks or how some apparently don't align with the tires.
--- End quote ---
Things to keep in mind for the questions about rover tracks:
1: If the lighting angles are just right then the tracks will 'disappear' as the ridges will hide their own shadows (the same reason you don't see shadows on the lunar surface during a full Moon, even near the limb: the stadows are behind the things casting them).
2: Astronauts moving around the rover will scatter dust over the tracks and obscure them.
3: The rover was light enough in the lunar gravity that sometimes the astronauts would pick it up and reposition it, so tracks might not line up.
4: From a point of view of logic, and given all the possible reasons for 'anomalies', the rover was a fuctional wheeled vehicle, so even if it was faked why on earth would anyone do anything other than drive the thing around the set instead of, as would be required if their arguments have any merit, somehow lifting it onto a set with existing tracks and dropping it into position?
--- Quote ---Additionally, a photo from Apollo 12 was also posited showing purportedly unexplainable reflections in the visor of the astronaut. I don't know how to attach photos right here in the text area so I'll just place it below in the attachment area. (The first file link doesn't work, sorry.)
The questions are:
What are those 2 light beams in the reflection? Are they supposed to be the experiments right below him or are they supposed to be the other astronaut?
--- End quote ---
They are the astronaut's arm and the camera attached to his chest.
--- Quote ---What is that loose white flap on the partly obscuring the upper-right part of the visor?
--- End quote ---
It's part of the sunshade apparatus in the helmet. There were a number of such parts that could be slid up and down depending on where the astronaut was working and where the sun was in his view.
--- Quote ---What is that brown spot on the ground next to the astronaut (holding the camera)?
What is that smaller brown spot next to the shadow of the other astronaut being photographed?
--- End quote ---
I believe the answer to that can be found in the shadows behind the ribbon cables. If you look at them you will see they are all brown, just like the cables. This is because the cables were not opaque as they first appear but the wires were embedded in a brown transparent plastic, so sunlight actually passes through the ribbon cables and casts coloured shadows, because the light is effetively passing through a lighting filter so only that colour hits the ground behind the cable.
--- Quote ---Why isn't the astronaut's (who is the photographer) shadow visible in the visor?
--- End quote ---
Because his reflection would appear just where the white sunshade flap is.
--- Quote ---There's 2 balls of light in the visor, one big light (presumably the moon) but there's on in the middle of the visor that's somewhat smaller; what is it?
--- End quote ---
The sun and presumable a reflection off the LM. But again, address the logic of the conspiracy theory: why would anyone trying to fake a lunar scene lit only by the sun have any additional light source?
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