Apollo 16 view of the earth from translunar injection

AS16-118-18885 (16 April 1972) --- A good view of Earth photographed about one and one-half hours after trans-lunar injection on April 16, 1972. Although there is much cloud cover, the United States in large part, most of Mexico and some parts of Central America are clearly visible. Note Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and the Bahama Banks (see different shade of blue below Florida). Just beginning man's fifth lunar landing mission were astronauts John W. Young, commander; Thomas K. Mattingly, II, command module pilot and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, astronaut Mattingly remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.