Vintage Lunar Hand Globe

This vintage lunar globe from Replogle Globes, Inc. depicts the moon showing the actual and proposed landing sites, crash sites, and soft landings by the U.S. and U.S.S.R. This lunar globe was issued in the later 1960's as part of a collaboration between the Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum in Chicago, and Replogle Globes Inc.

While the first satellite images of the far side of the Moon were captured by the U.S.S.R. Luna 3 on October 7, 1959, the area wasn't fully mapped until 1967 after NASA launched their Luna Orbiter program. There were five Lunar Orbiter missions from 1966 to 1967, tasked with mapping the surface of the moon ahead of the Apollo mission in 1969. 

This particular globe does feature an unmapped section of the "dark side of the moon." It only displays one crash site, being the Ranger 4, which crashed there on April 26, 1962. While the Ranger 4's mission failed due to computer malfunctions, prohibiting it from transmiting any data or photos, it was the first American spacecraft to reach another celestial body. 

The globe is enscribed "Produced by Robert I. Johnson, Director ; Richard M. Grossman and Staff, Cartographers, Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum"

This Lunar globe displays details of the moons surface, including craters and seas. It is situated on a plastic base resembling that of the lunar surface. 

Dimensions: 

6.25" in diameter

6.5" tall (including stand)

Weight: 9 oz