First Ranger 9 Image
Date: 24 Mar 1965

This is the first Ranger 9 image of the moon, taken with the A camera from a distance of 2,378 km.

The image is centered on the Mare Nubium region of the moon, which extends to the bottom of the image. At upper left is southeastern Oceanus Procellarum. The two craters with the central peaks at right are Alphonsus, diameter 108 km, and below it Arzachel, diameter 96 km. The crater near the center at about 8:00 is 60 km Bullialdus. The frame is approximately 1,050 km across and north is at 12:30. The final impact point of Ranger 9 is in the Alphonsus crater, midway between the central peak and rim at about 1:30. (Ranger 9, A001.)

Credit: NSSDC Photo Gallery