Gemini 7 Technical Debriefing, 1965

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excellent viewing is where the ai:r is clear. It is the
same way with airplanes. But, I think you ha.ve a better
chance to look below than you do in an airplane.
There is
a better chance of seeing something, but you still have the
haze problem.
Borman
When we first got up a.nd had a f'ull Moon, we did not see
lDA1'cy' more stars than you see on an ordin&ry flight at thirty
or forty thousand feet. However, during the latter pa.rt of
the flight with a quarter Moon, we found that there were
more stars visible. We have a d:rawing here of the number of
stars we could see in the Pleiad.es, which b.&e been recorded.
Lovell
The big thing to remember here is the fact that the Moon has
a big effect on the number of stars you see and which ones
you can use for celestial navigation.
Borman
Right.
Lovell
If the M::>on is full, it is the predominant feature in the
sky, and s:n:y stars near the M?on at the time are washed out;
and they are very hard to use for sextant sightings.
Borman
Right. Same way with the Milky Way. It is not very appar­
ent when the M:>on is full.
Lovell
In reverse though, when the Moon is full the Earth is a very
good reference.
Borman
That's right. It's a blue reference with white clouds, very