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This is the first space selfie - and it's awesome

Mar 2, 2015, 21:36 IST

You probably know Buzz Aldrin as the second guy to set foot on the Moon.

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Or maybe as the namesake for Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear.

But Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. also has the honor of being the first person to take a selfie in space.

Aldrin snapped the photo in November 1966, during Gemini 12, the last mission of a program meant to test astronauts' ability to dock with spacecraft already in orbit.

While he was at it, Aldrin also set a record for time spent outside his spacecraft (called an EVA, or extravehicular activity), at five and a half hours. Here's the photo:

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The eight by ten inch photo was among hundreds of vintage space photos sold at London's Bloomsbury Auction on February 26 - see more of them in our slideshow.

Aldrin's seminal selfie went for more than $9,000 (£5,952) - way more than the auction house's minimum estimation of $900 (£600).

NOW WATCH: Here Are All The Awful Things That Happen To Your Body In Space

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