Earthrise from Apollo 8 – William Anders

“The most influential environmental photograph ever taken.”

“On December 24, 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to leave Earth’s orbit and venture into space. As they orbited the moon, they took turns taking pictures of the lunar surface. However, it was when they turned their cameras towards Earth that they captured one of the most famous photographs of all time. The photo, which came to be known as “Earthrise,” shows our planet rising above the moon’s horizon. The sight was so beautiful and awe-inspiring that it prompted one of the astronauts, William Anders, to say, “We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered Earth.” The photo went on to become an iconic image of the Space Age and has been hailed as one of the most influential photographs of all time.” (24 Most Famous Photographs Ever Taken).