Model of lunar craters centred on the Apennine Mountains, 1850-1871

Model of lunar craters centred on the Apennine Mountains, 1850-1871. Photograph of 1871 showing a plaster model of the cratered surface of the Moon made by James Nasmyth (1808-1890). Nasmyth, a successful industrialist and engineer, based his models on lunar observations made at his 20 inch reflecting telescope. Working from his Moon drawings, he calculated the height of the lunar features by measuring the length of their shadows. These were then photographed with suitable lighting to produce better results than could be achieved at the time with direct lunar photography. Nasmyth went onto photograph a whole series of his lunar models. They were used to illustrate the book, 'The Moon' that Nasmyth published in 1871 with James Carpenter. Untitled in the volume this photograph is centred on the Apennine Mountains and the crater Archimedes. ©SSPL/Science Museum