NASA's Apollo Lunar Surface Journal (ALSJ) records the details of each mission's period on the lunar surface as a timeline of the activities undertaken, the dialogue between the crew and Mission Control, and the relevant documentary records. Each photograph taken on the mission is catalogued there and each panoramic photograph sequence is also recorded. This page tabulates the Apollo 16 panoramas and, where appropriate, provides updated representations of the panoramas blended using more recent technologies than the originals.

Context

Apollo 16 was the second of Apollo's "J Missions" using an enhanced Lunar Module that was capable of supporting a 3-day stay on the lunar surface *and* the delivery of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV or "Rover") to the surface to allow the crew to extend the range of their exploration and to provide remote TV coverage.

In terms of photography, Apollo 16's crew surpassed their predecessors on Apollo 15 in no short measure. 1800 frames were captured whilst on the lunar surface resulting in around 100 panoramic sequences. An interesting point that arises in the subsequent tables is the ratio of panoramas taken by the Commander (John Young) and the Lunar Module Pilot (Charlie Duke) - Duke takes around four times as many as his colleague and this 4:1 ratio is the highest across all the missions.

The Lunar Module (LM), Orion, landed with its door and ladder leg (AKA "+Z strut") pointing approximately due west. The Sun's elevation was around 22°-25° for EVA 1, 34°-38° for EVA 2, and 46°-49° for EVA 3.

The higher elevations of the Sun across the EVAs can be seen through the improvement in the quality of the panoramas; the Sun itself, and any resulting lens flair, is barely noticeable whereas it featured prominently in the earlier missions.

Rover Panoramas (LVR Pans)

Charlie Duke is credited with inventing a new procedure during EVA 2; the "LRV Pan" or "Rover Pan" (also known as a "360"). The process of getting on and off of the rover was protracted due to the bulky suit and backpack that the astronauts wore, but Duke realised that by having Young drive the rover in a tight circle he could snap a panoramic sequence simply by pointing the camera straight ahead and continuously pressing the shutter button from his seated position ("click - click - click - click - click -click")

Although efficient in terms of time and effort, the approach presented some issues:- Panoramic sequences are best shot from a single position - in these cases the camera was moved (or was being moved) for each shot Every shot contains foreground items (the rover's TV camera and antenna) that impact on as much as 50% of each image The camera is subject to the movements and orientation of the rover Camera settings have to be changed "On the fly"

The first noted LRV Pan was the sequence AS16-115-18503 to 18511 - see "Timestamp 148:41:11" below. Empirical analysis suggests that the sequence is limited to AS16-115-18107 to 18511 and the result is shown below:-

Non-EVA (LM-based) panoramas

By this, the fifth landing, the need for contingency photos taken from the Lunar Module was greatly reduced, so low in fact, that only one panorama was taken through each of the windows (and subsequently combined). No panoramas were taken from the LM between the EVAs or after the final return.

+ Table 16.1 Non-EVA panoramas Mission Time (MET) EVA # Title Astronaut Magazine Type Start Frame End Frame Source Reference Panorama Sourced Alternate Updated Panorama Notes XVI 106:15:45 Pre-EVA Post-Landing Window Pan Young/Duke 113 Color 18296 18310 ALSJ N/A JSC2012e052597 XVI 106:15:45 Pre-EVA Post-Landing Window Pan - CDR Young 113 Color 18296 18303 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 106:15:45 Pre-EVA Post-Landing Window Pan - LMP Duke 113 Color 18304 18310 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama

EVA Panoramas - EVA 1

+ Table 16.2 EVA 1 panoramas Mission Time (MET) EVA # Title Astronaut Magazine Type Start Frame End Frame Source Reference Panorama ALSJ Alternate Updated Panorama Notes XVI 119:33:46 EVA 1 LM 4 O'clock Pan Duke 113 Color 18313 18330 ALSJ N/A XVI 119:33:46 EVA 1 LM 4 O'clock Pan North Duke 113 Color 18313 18322 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 119:33:46 EVA 1 LM 4 O'clock Pan South Duke 113 Color 18324 18330 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 122:12:32 EVA 1 ALSEP Pan Duke 113 Color 18349 18370 ALSJ N/A XVI 122:12:32 EVA 1 ALSEP Pan North Duke 113 Color 18349 18360 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 122:12:32 EVA 1 ALSEP Pan South Duke 113 Color 18361 18370 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 122:58:02 EVA 1 Outbound Drive to Station 1 - Part 1 Duke 109 Monochrome 17747 17768 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse images - omitted XVI 123:14:14 EVA 1 Outbound Drive to Station 1 - Part 2 Duke 109 Monochrome 17769 17774 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse images - omitted XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan Duke 109 Monochrome 17775 17793 ALSJ N/A XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan North Duke 109 Monochrome 17775 17786 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan South Duke 109 Monochrome 17787 17793 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan - Alternative 1 Duke 109 Monochrome 17775 17779 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan - Alternative 2 Duke 109 Monochrome 17787 17792 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 123:25:08 EVA 1 Charlie's Station 1 Pan - Alternative 3 Duke 109 Monochrome 17787 17792 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:02:22 EVA 1 John's Station 1 Pan Young 114 Color 18415 18432 ALSJ N/A Alternate from LPI - JSC2012e052598 XVI 124:02:22 EVA 1 John's Station 1 Pan North Young 114 Color 18415 18323 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:02:22 EVA 1 John's Station 1 Pan South Young 114 Color 18425 18432 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:02:22 EVA 1 John's Station 1 Pan Mono Young 114 Color 18418 18423 ALSJ N/A XVI 124:02:22 EVA 1 John's Station 1 Pan - Two Charlies Young 114 Color 18415 18432 ALSJ N/A XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan Duke 109 Monochrome 17811 17827 ALSJ N/A 2nd Alternate from LPI - JSC2012e052599 XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan North Duke 109 Monochrome 17811 17818 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan South Duke 109 Monochrome 17819 17827 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan Alternative 1 Duke 109 Monochrome 17814 17825 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan Alternative 2 Duke 109 Monochrome 17814 17816 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 First Station 2 Pan Alternative 3 Duke 109 Monochrome 17821 17825 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 124:23:34 EVA 1 Buster Crater Partial Pan Duke 109 Monochrome 17828 17836 ALSJ N/A XVI 124:28:40 EVA 1 500-mm Stone Mountain from Station 2 Duke 112 Monochrome 18193 18232 ALSJ N/A XVI 124:28:40 EVA 1 500-mm South Ray from Station 2 Duke 112 Monochrome 18233 18239 ALSJ N/A XVI 124:48:20 EVA 1 Return to the LM from Station 2 Duke 109 Monochrome 17849 07862 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse images - omitted XVI 125:24:40 EVA 1 UV Camera, End of EVA-1 Young 114 Color 18439 18441 ALSJ N/A Note the stitching glitches in the second alternate image; the antenna on the LRV appears to be floating above the vehicle!

EVA Panoramas - EVA 2

+ Table 16.3 EVA 2 panoramas Mission Time (MET) EVA # Title Astronaut Magazine Type Start Frame End Frame Source Reference Panorama Sourced Alternate Updated Panorama Notes XVI 143:13:46 EVA 2 4 O'Clock LM Pan, Start of EVA-2 Duke 107 Color 17420 17440 ALSJ N/A XVI 143:13:46 EVA 2 4 O'Clock LM Pan, Start of EVA-2 North Duke 107 Color 17420 17430 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 143:13:46 EVA 2 4 O'Clock LM Pan, Start of EVA-2 South Duke 107 Color 17431 17440 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 143:31:21 EVA 2 EVA-2 Outbound Traverse, LM to Survey Ridge Duke 110 Monochrome 17870 17888 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 143:42:15 EVA 2 EVA-2 Outbound Traverse, Survey Ridge Duke 110 Monochrome 17889 17907 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 144:14:29 EVA 2 South Ray Crater as seen from Stone Mountain (Station 4) Duke 112 Monochrome 18243 18252 LPI N/A JSC2007e045383 XVI 144:14:29 EVA 2 South Ray Crater and Baby Ray Crater from Station 4 Duke 112 Monochrome 18243 18259 ALSJ N/A XVI 144:14:29 EVA 2 Central Portion of South Ray Crater from Station 4 Duke 112 Monochrome 18245 18248 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:14:29 EVA 2 Central Portion of South Ray Crater from Station 4 Alternative 1 Duke 112 Monochrome 18245 18252 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:14:29 EVA 2 Baby Ray Crater from Station 4 Duke 112 Monochrome 18253 18254 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:15:20 EVA 2 Stubby Crater from Station 4 Duke 112 Monochrome 18260 18268 ALSJ N/A XVI 144:15:49 EVA 2 LM, Smoky Mountain, North Ray Crater, and Ravine Crater from Station 4 Duke 112 Monochrome 18269 18277 ALSJ N/A XVI 144:48:00 EVA 2 John's Station 4 Pan Young 107 Monochrome 17467 17489 ALSJ N/A XVI 144:48:00 EVA 2 Station 4 Crater Detail, High Resolution Young 107 Monochrome 17470 17473 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:48:00 EVA 2 John's Station 4 Pan, Northern Portion Young 107 Monochrome 17470 11472 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:56:49 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 4 Pan Duke 110 Monochrome 17952 17974 ALSJ N/A XVI 144:56:49 EVA 2 Station 4 Rover Duke 110 Monochrome 17960 17961 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 144:57:16 EVA 2 Station 4 Rover Tracks Duke 110 Monochrome 17960 17968 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 143:32:15 EVA 2 EVA-2 inbound traverse, Station 4 to Station 5 Duke 110 Monochrome 17975 17990 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 145:10:20 EVA 2 Station 5 Pan Duke 110 Monochrome 17991 18018 ALSJ N/A XVI 145:58:36 EVA 2 Traverse Photos - Station 5 to Station 6 Duke 108 Monochrome 17585 17605 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 146:11:10 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 6 Pan Duke 108 Monochrome 17606 17626 ALSJ N/A XVI 146:11:10 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 6 Pan - John at the Rover Duke 108 Monochrome 17619 17626 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 146:29:22 EVA 2 Traverse Photos - Station 6 to Station 8 Duke 108 Monochrome 17634 17662 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 146:43:51 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 8 pan Duke 108 Monochrome 17663 17681 ALSJ N/A XVI 146:43:51 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 8 pan - Antenna Duke 108 Monochrome 17668 17671 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 146:29:22 EVA 2 Traverse Photos - Station 8 to Station 9 Duke 108 Monochrome 17703 17713 ALSJ N/A N/A Traverse - images omitted XVI 147:56:45 EVA 2 Charlie's Station 9 Pan Duke 108 Monochrome 17714 17739 ALSJ N/A XVI 147:56:45 EVA 2 Station 9 LRV Tracks Duke 108 Monochrome 17733 17738 ALSJ N/A Sub-panorama XVI 148:09:03 EVA 2 Station 9 Great Sneak Duke 107 Monochrome 17560 17573 ALSJ N/A N/A This is a collage, not a panorama (images excluded) XVI 148:41:11 EVA 2 First "Rover Pan" - Stone Mountain Duke 115 Monochrome 18507 18511 Original N/A Panorama created by cropping out foreground XVI 149:20:40 EVA 2 John's ALSEP pan Young 114 Monochrome 18449 18467 ALSJ N/A XVI 149:20:40 EVA 2 John's ALSEP pan Rover Young 114 Monochrome 18451 18463 ALSJ N/A Alternate from LPI - JSC2011e118362

EVA Panoramas - EVA 3 Somewhere between EVAs 2 and 3, the Reseau Plate on one of the cameras was smeared and all of the pictures on magazine 116 were impacted. Note the example shown below:-