[Photo That Shaped History] A Man on the Moon (1969)

 

Taken by Neil Armstrong on June 20th, 1969, A Man on the Moon showcases astronaut Buzz Aldrin as he takes some of his first steps across the moon’s surface.

Equipped with a 70mm lunar surface camera, Armstrong set out to document Apollo 11’s expedition through a series of photos detailing the crew-of-two’s first steps, and the placement of the American flag.

Immortalized from all of those photos is A Man on the Moon. In it, Aldrin stands alone with nothing but the vast expanse of the moon as his backdrop. With not a modicum of humanity surrounding him, Aldrin is swallowed by the great unknown of space, capitalizing on the feelings of loneliness and curiosity that, even today, drive us to find life beyond the fringes of earth. His singular presence in the photo also punctuates the whole point of the expedition: a man landed on the moon.