Apollo 8 Astronaut William A. Anders Dies at 90

TL/DR –

On Christmas Eve, three astronauts orbiting the moon took photos of Earth, with Major Anders being the only one to capture the scene on color film. His photo, known as “Earthrise,” inspired the first Earth Day in 1970 and was featured on a 1969 postage stamp and the cover of Life magazine’s 2003 book “100 Photographs That Changed the World.” In a 2015 interview, Major Anders expressed surprise that the public’s memory of the astronauts behind the photo had faded, stating that their voyage led to the discovery of Earth’s beauty and fragility, helping to kickstart the environmental movement.

Moon Orbit Astronauts Capture Earthrise

On the eve of Christmas, three astronauts orbiting the moon ten times telecast their journey to millions across the globe. They captured images of Earth rising over the lunar horizon, appearing as a blue marble against the blackness of space. Of the three, only Major Anders shot color film.

Anders’ photo, dubbed “Earthrise,” sent shockwaves around the world. It was commemorated in a 1969 postage stamp which bore the phrase, “In the beginning God…”. The image inspired the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, and graced the cover of Life magazine’s 2003 book, “100 Photographs That Changed the World”.

Just before the crucial photo was taken, the astronauts expressed their awe at the sight, as heard from the onboard recorder:

“Oh my God! Look at that picture over there. Here’s the Earth coming up. Wow, that’s pretty.”
“[chuckle] Hey, don’t take that, it’s not scheduled.”
“[laughter] You got a color film, Jim? Hand me that roll of color quick, would you…
“Oh man, that’s great.”

In a 2015 Forbes interview, Anders noted the photo emphasized Earth’s beauty and fragility, sparking the environmental movement. Nevertheless, he was surprised by how the public’s memory of the event faded. “It’s curious…that the press and people…have kind of forgotten our history-making voyage,” he said. “Here we came all the way to the moon to discover Earth.”

To conclude their Christmas Eve broadcast, the Apollo 8 astronauts recited the first passage from the Book of Genesis.

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