The case for a Dome near Copernicus

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While surfing the Los Alamos National Laboratory web site, I came across an oblique Apollo 17 image taken in the region of the crater Copernicus. There was a "small" and "large" version. I noticed some interesting patterns in the larger image, so I downloaded it and saved it to disk.

A few weeks later I showed the image to Ken Johnston, and we mutually agreed that the vertical striations were most likely film grain or scanner noise. This was based on the fact that the striping extended beyond the horizon, actually seeming to be between the camera and the surface, and was mostly rectilinear, matching the vertical and horizontal of the image.

However, after seeing the most recent issue of the Enterprise Mission newsletter, I decided to take a closer look. The newsletter showed a computer reconstruction of the "Sinus Medii Dome" by architect Robert Fiertek. Rather than being an actual dome, the structure was boxlike, with most aspects of the structure being at right angles ("Rectilinear") to each other. I also reconsidered "Alex Cook's 4822", which showed a significant amount of semi-translucent material between the camera and the surface, much like my Copernicus image. After a little work, I now lean more heavily in the other direction - that this image reveals a significant Lunar structure consistent with earlier findings by Hoagland.

The problem at this point is that I do not have the frame number, and the folks at LANL have been no help. I am subsequently forced to conduct a tedious search for this image, which is ongoing.

The Original Image

Color balance adjusted, resampled and contrast enhanced. Note the bright material above the horizon, the apparent cross braces, and the crescent (Earth?) in the background. Also notice the structure above the crater is aligned with local vertical, at a 45 degree angle to "grain" of the image. The semi-translucent "stuff" on the right seems to obscure the surface below, very unlike a photographic anomaly. The "S" shaped string of craters is highly unusual, but has been noted the vicinity of other "dome" like structures. Could these be the central "footings" supporting the layered box above the region? Consider the diagram below of the region in question.

The image makes more sense as a structure when rotated 45 degrees to approximate local vertical. Note the bright structure just behind the crater and the apparent "holes" in the grid like pattern. This compares favorably to the images of Sinus Medii and Fra Mauro enhanced by Hoagland.

Note the similarity between this close up of the vertical structure and Hoagland's famous Surveyor Sinus Medii "sunset" shot.

The second, and most compelling, evidence that this is an actual structure on the surface of the Moon are the close-ups of the "crescent".

Taken from the "original" image, resampled and unsharp masked.

Taken from the "rotated" version, resampled, unsharp masked and false color enhanced.

Note that semi-translucent "stuff" is partially obscuring the "crescent" "Earth" behind it in space. The whole "crescent" looks as if it is underwater. Again, this is consistent with the "Castle" and other objects enhanced by Hoagland (Although the "Castle" is clearly above the Moon, not some 250,000 miles "behind" the "glass").

Conclusions

This would appear to be a genuine "artifact" image showing a boxlike "Dome" above Copernicus. Since it has an architecture entirely consistent with Hoagland's proposed (and later reinforced by Fiertek) "Sinus Medii Dome", it could be nothing less than the "smoking gun" that confirms the existence of both. This creates an imperative regarding the task of identifying the frame number and obtaining multiple negatives from as many archives as possible.

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