Earth Rising over the Moon

For Art Bell Show 8/20/97

Time-lapse sequence of last few 16-mm (DAC) camera frames of "anomalous Earthrise," as filmed from Apollo 10 lunar module "Spider" in May, 1969. From left to right: (1) last proper exposure before camera is turned "off," although Earth appears geometrically "flattened"; (2) film begins slowing down, with Earth and lunar surface brightening with increasing exposure; (3) Earth still brightening, but sun-lit lunar surface (below) suddenly is strangely "dimmed"; (4) next frame, lunar surface and Earth brightening again, and curious "layering" in space above Earth appears; (5) second-to-last-frame, Earth and Moon almost totally over-exposed by film continued slow-down, with "layering" even more pronounced; (6) final frame, Earth dimly visible above totally over-exposed lunar surface, through semi-transparent multiple-layering ... while above, the jagged (fractal), meteor-bombarded, topmost layer of "the Mare Smythe dome" finally appears ...

(Left) Computer-enhanced enlargement of last 16-mm DAC frame of "Earthrise," seen from Apollo 10. Telephoto view shows 2-degree-wide Earth, between two "layers" of the "Mare Smythe dome." Jagged, micro meteorite-eroded top layer (~3 miles above lunar surface in this close-up) is characteristic of "fractal architecture" -- eroded back along structural supports. (Right) Enterprise Mission architect Robert Fiertek's remarkable matching computer simulation of this "fractally erosive process" in a glass-like lunar dome ...