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  • Sun Compass 1.jpeg
    Sun Compass 1.jpeg
  • Sun Compass 2.jpeg
    Sun Compass 2.jpeg
  • Sun Compass 3.jpeg
    Sun Compass 3.jpeg
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Sun Compass

Title

Sun Compass

Subject

sun compass

Description

A paper compass that uses the sun to create shadows on a circle with topographic lunar features. It was used during the Stand Up EVA (SEVA) to take bearings on landmarks and allowed Mission Control to triangulate the position of the Lunar Module (LM). It was also prepared and tested for the EVAs because Apollo 15 was the first time astronauts drove beyond the horizon and needed a backup navigation system for the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). If the LRV's navigation system had failed and the LM was out of sight, astronauts could have aligned the compass with the mountains and navigated back to the LM.

Creator

NASA

Source

Lawrence McGlynn
https://www.spaceartifactsarchive.com/2019/04/working-hand-in-hand-the-sun-compass-and-the-overlay-map.html

Publisher

NASA

Rights

Lawrence McGlynn is the copyright holder for the images of the sun compass. Images used with permission.

Format

JPG

Type

Still Image

Identifier

Primary Sources

UUID

a78cfda5-1848-4487-b71f-ddfc45eb3dc8

Collection

Exploration

Tags

navigation, sun compass

Citation

NASA, “Sun Compass,” The Apollo 15 Learning Hub, accessed March 23, 2023, https://apollo15hub.org/items/show/286.

Output Formats

  • atom
  • csv
  • dcmes-xml
  • json
  • omeka-xml

Project Partners

Tracy L. Scott, Ph.D. (Associate Teaching Professor in Sociology at Emory University)

Col. David R. Scott

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