photo #8569405

Detail from Apollo 12 photo AS12-47-6983 showing the deployed flag and its shadow. The latch failed on the pivot designed to hold the top edge of the flag out perpendicular to the pole on a supporting rod, so the flag hung limp. The photo was taken at about 1455 UTC on 19 November 1969. The Sun's elevation was 9.2 degrees. Platoff describes the flag as being 5 by 3 feet (1.5 by 1.0 meters). Because the supporting rod is close to vertical, we can estimate that the part of the pole above ground is about 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and that the bottom of the flag is about 2 feet (0.6 meters) off the ground. On level ground, the far end of the shadow would be about 13 meters from the pole. The bottom of the flag is about 0.5 m above the surface and its shadow would be about 3 meters from the pole.#fblifestyle