This is Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, NASA photograph AS11-40-5903, taken by Neil Armstrong on 20 July 1969 during the Apollo 11 moonwalk at Tranquility Base. Aldrin faces the camera, and his gold visor reflects Armstrong, the lunar module and the grey surface around them. Our Buzz Aldrin on the Moon poster and photo print is made from NASA's archival scan of the original 70 mm film frame, restored by the authors of the Apollo photo book Apollo VII-XVII.

Apollo 11 (AS11-40-5903)

The Apollo 11 man on the Moon photo

Apollo 11 launched on 16 July 1969. Four days later Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle in the Sea of Tranquility, while Michael Collins circled overhead in the command module Columbia. Armstrong was first down the ladder; Aldrin joined him on the surface around twenty minutes later.

Armstrong had the Hasselblad for most of the moonwalk, mounted on the chest of his suit, so the man on the Moon in most Apollo 11 surface photos is Aldrin. This frame was shot more than an hour into the walk, when Armstrong had moved to the equipment bay on the side of Eagle. Aldrin has raised his left arm, probably to read the checklist on the wrist of his glove. There is dust on his boots and knees, and a small mound of soil is building up in front of his right boot.

The detail that makes this Apollo 11 poster stand out is in the visor. Its curved gold surface reflects the photographer, Armstrong, together with the lunar module and the empty landscape. The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, NASA's annotated record of the moonwalks, notes that no other Apollo photograph has been reproduced as often as this portrait of Buzz.

Restored from the original Apollo 11 film

Most Apollo 11 posters are printed from small web files that have been copied, compressed and colour shifted many times over. Ours starts from NASA's archival scan of the original film frame. We removed dust and scratches by hand and corrected colour and exposure against the film itself. Nothing is added or invented: the print shows what Armstrong's camera recorded on the Moon, as close to the film as we can bring it.

It is the same restoration that appears in our book Apollo VII-XVII, reviewed by CNN, TIME, BBC Sky at Night Magazine and The Planetary Society.

Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot

Buzz Aldrin, born in 1930, was a Korean War fighter pilot who went on to earn a doctorate at MIT on orbital rendezvous, the method used to bring two spacecraft together in orbit. He made his first spaceflight on Gemini 12 in 1966, where his work outside the spacecraft showed that spacewalks could be done safely and productively. Three years later, as Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11, he became the second person to walk on the Moon.

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon poster or framed print?

This is the unframed version: a Buzz Aldrin on the Moon photo print in three square sizes, 12 x 12, 20 x 20 and 28 x 28 inch (30, 50 and 70 cm). It is giclée printed on heavyweight 240 gsm photographic paper with a satin lustre finish, the paper professional photographers use, and printed right to the edge with no white border. Each print is made to order, rolled in tissue paper and shipped in a sturdy tube, insured and tracked. That makes it a sturdier Apollo 11 Buzz Aldrin poster than standard poster paper, and easy to frame yourself.

Want it ready to hang? The same restoration is available as a framed Buzz Aldrin on the Moon print, mounted and framed by hand in black, white or natural wood.

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon poster FAQ

What is this Apollo 11 photo?

It is NASA photograph AS11-40-5903, taken on 20 July 1969 at Tranquility Base. It shows Buzz Aldrin standing on the Moon during the Apollo 11 moonwalk.

Who took the photo?

Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, with a Hasselblad camera on 70 mm colour film. He can be seen reflected in Aldrin's visor.

Why are there so few photos of Neil Armstrong on the Moon?

Because Armstrong carried the camera for most of the moonwalk. That is why most Apollo 11 surface photos of an astronaut show Aldrin, and why Armstrong appears here only as a reflection.

Is this the original NASA photo?

Yes. The poster is made from NASA's archival scan of the original film frame, cleaned and colour corrected by hand. Nothing is added or invented.

What sizes is the Buzz Aldrin poster available in?

12, 20 and 28 inch square (30, 50 and 70 cm). The image is printed to the edge, without a border.

Is this a poster or a photo print?

Both, in a way. It is sold unframed like a poster, but it is a giclée photo print on 240 gsm satin lustre paper, heavier and finer than standard poster paper. If you would rather have it framed, choose the framed Buzz Aldrin on the Moon print.

Photograph details

Photograph: AS11-40-5903
Mission: Apollo 11
Date: 20 July 1969
Photographer: Neil Armstrong
Camera: Hasselblad, 70 mm film
Source: NASA archival film scan
Restoration: Apollo Photo Prints, from the book Apollo VII-XVII