The First Photo of the Moon: March 23rd, 1840

Posted on by Niall McArdle

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By Niall McArdle

On March 23rd 1840 pioneering photographer John William Draper took the first detailed photograph of the Moon, using a daguerreotype, clearly showing the surface and its craters. Draper’s photo confirmed what had only been sketched in astronomical drawings

Cassini's drawing of the Moon, 1690
Cassini’s drawing of the Moon, 1690

Draper is also credited with taking the first clear photograph of a female face, when he took a photo of his sister and assistant, Dorothy.

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A nice video of what the Moon actually looks like:

And a nice song about the Moon by Paul Simon:

3 thoughts on “The First Photo of the Moon: March 23rd, 1840”

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County-Level Playboy Irishman currently at large in Canada Blogger at The Fluff is Raging and 2paragraphs Looking for the geist in the Zeitgeist