Conspiracy

Graphics demo disproves Apollo hoax claim

By T.K. Randall
September 20, 2014 ·  525 comments

Aldrin descending the ladder in the original image. Image Credit: NASA Well known for its range of high performance computer graphics cards, Nvidia has demonstrated its latest dynamic lighting technology by recreating the site of the famous Apollo 11 moon landing in an effort to prove that the event really happened.

In particular the company has focused on producing an accurate recreation of a well known photograph taken by Neil Armstrong showing Buzz Aldrin descending the steps of the lander while the area around him is engulfed in shadow.Conspiracy theorists have long argued that this particular image is evidence that the landings were hoaxed because Aldrin, despite being within the shadowed area, is somehow brightly lit, indicating that there must have been some other light source situated nearby.

"We talked to a lot of experts in the field to re-create what happened on the moon that day," said GeForce general manager Scott Herkelman. "We re-created perfectly what they made and how the reflection would look off the suits, duct tape [and] aluminum foil."

By recreating the scene the team was able to demonstrate that Aldrin was actually being lit by sunlight that was bouncing off the surrounding lunar surface. "The sun is hitting the dust, and it's illuminating the backside of the Apollo module and astronaut," said Herkelman.

Source: io9.com | Comments (525)

Tags: Apollo, Moon, Hoax