Earthrise

The *Earthrise* photograph is a landmark image in human history. It shows our home planet appearing to rise over the lunar horizon.

This single picture is considered one of the most influential environmental photographs ever taken. It captured a perspective of Earth that no human had ever seen before. This view helped change how people think about our planet's place in the universe. Many historians believe the image helped spark the modern environmental movement.

The image was captured during the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968. This was the first crewed voyage to orbit the Moon. The crew consisted of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. While some people believed mission commander Frank Borman took the shot, mission transcripts prove otherwise. Astronaut William Anders actually took all three of the primary photographs. The specific moment of the famous shot was December 24, 1968, at 16:39:39.3 UTC.

The mission had launched several days earlier, on December 21, 1968.

To capture such a distant and beautiful view, Anders used specialized equipment. He used a highly modified Hasselblad 500 EL camera. This camera featured an electric drive to help with the photography.

Instead of a standard reflex viewfinder, the camera used a simple sighting ring. Anders used a 250 mm lens to photograph the Earth from lunar orbit. The camera was loaded with a 70 mm film magazine. This magazine contained custom Ektachrome color film developed by Kodak.

The process of developing the film was a race against time. After the Apollo 8 crew returned, NASA technicians could not wait for standard processing. They drove four hours from Houston to Corpus Christi, Texas. They went to the R&R Photo Studio & Color Labs. The owner, Raul Rodriguez, was the only person in South Texas with the right equipment. He used a German-made Merz S2A dual-rocking-drum developer to process the Ektachrome slides.

He then used an Auto-focus Chromega D4 enlarger to print the first 8" x 10" glossy photos. One of these prints became the iconic *Earthrise* image.

Understanding why the Earth "rises" requires looking at how the Moon moves. The Earth appears to rise because the spacecraft is traveling in orbit over the Moon's surface. Even though the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, an observer can still see an earthrise. This is possible because the Moon undergoes a process called libration. Libration is a slight wobbling motion of the Moon. This wobble allows different parts of the lunar surface to face Earth. Because of this, an earthrise can be seen near the edge of the Earth-observable surface. This process is slow, and it can take about 48 hours for the Earth to clear its diameter.

The legacy of the photograph is visible in many places today. The U.S. Postal Service even issued a stamp featuring the image in 1969.

The cloud patterns from the photo are so recognizable that they are used on the Artemis 2 mission patch. The image has also left a mark on the Moon itself. In October 2018, two lunar craters were officially named to honor the moment. These craters are named Anders' Earthrise and 8 Homeward. They were previously known only by letters.

*Earthrise* connects photography, space exploration, and environmental science. It provided a visual link between our small world and the vastness of space. William Anders once remarked that they set out to explore the Moon but instead discovered the Earth. This realization changed the way humanity views its own survival and environment. The image remains a powerful symbol of our shared home in the cosmos.