Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Cernan Evans Schmitt
Launched: December 7, 1972 Landed: December 11, 1972 Splashdown: December 19, 1972
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Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
1. Cernan Evans Schmitt Marker
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the final Apollo mission and the crowning achievement of the entire Apollo program. The mission set numerous Apollo program records: the longest mission, the greatest amount of time on the Moon's surface, the largest lunar samples, and the longest period orbiting the Moon. The universally recognized “Blue Marble” photograph of Earth was taken during this flight. The mission was also the only nighttime Apollo launch. As another first, the crew included Harrison Schmitt - the only scientist (and professional geologist) to land on the Moon. To further the understanding of the Moon's composition, Schmitt and Cernan collected ancient lunar rocks and soil from 22 locations, bringing home 741 separate samples that weighed almost 250 pounds.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Exploration.
Location. 34° 42.663′ N, 86° 39.339′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. It can be reached from Tranquility Base half a mile west of Old Madison Pike NW, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville AL 35805, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
this page online
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, November 22, 2011
2. Apollo 17 - Cernan Evans Schmitt
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 956 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on July 15, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 27, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
