A stunning collection of vintage NASA photographs including the first "selfie" in space and a rare photo taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong when he landed on the Moon are now up for sale in a London auction.

The collection boasts of more than 600 images that includes the most pivotal moments in human history in terms of space exploration was compiled over the years by a devoted collector.

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On February 26, the pictures will be auctioned off at the Bloomsbury Auctions in London where they are all expected to sell around US$465 to $15,525.

One of the highlights of the auction is the iconic photo taken by Buzz Aldrin during the Gemini 12 lunar mission in 1966. Aldrin is the second astronaut to set foot on the Moon. This photograph is believed to be the first "selfie" taken in space and is slated to sell between US$932 to US$1,242.

The most famous image of the sale called the "visor photograph" also features Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission on the historic moon landing on July 20, 1969.

According to Sara Wheeler, a spokesperson from Bloomsbury Auctions, the photo was taken by Armstrong just a few moments after he made the "one small step, one giant leap for mankind" speech.

The collection also includes a very rare photo taken by Aldrin of fellow astronaut and moon explorer Armstrong on the surface. Most of the photos were apparently taken by Armstrong, which means there are only a few photos of him on the surface of the moon.

According to Wheeler, it's now extremely rare to find vintage print photographs as they were not readily recognized by NASA at the time. The photos were found years later and were not released to the press and not widely published even if they were of historic significance.

Apart from the NASA lunar and space programs in the 1960s, the collection also involves the oldest space image dating back to 1946 from a camera strapped onto a V-2 rocket, showing the Earth.

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