In 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon with a touching message from ‘Planet Earth’ that has remained there for more than 50 years

When Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke stepped onto the Moon in April 1972, he was carrying more than equipment, scientific instruments and supplies. He also had a small family photograph with him — a picture of his wife and two young sons that would ultimately become one of the most personal objects left behind on the lunar surface.

Duke, who served as the lunar module pilot on NASA's Apollo 16 mission, placed the framed photograph on the Moon before returning to Earth. On the back, he had written a short but unforgettable message identifying the people in the image as being “from Planet Earth.”

More than five decades later, the photograph remains at the Apollo 16 landing site.

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Charles Duke's family photo became a Moon keepsake

The photograph showed Duke with his wife, Dotty, and their two sons, Charles and Tom. Rather than carrying the image as a simple loose snapshot, Duke had prepared it as a keepsake.