That's the earth rising above the surface of the moon, taken by astronauts on Apollo 8, the first manned orbital mission to the moon in December 1968. And if it hadn't been for an orbital manoeuvre, it's possible that picture would not have been taken at all. The astronauts took that picture on the 4th orbit around the moon, and it seems only because Apollo 8 was rolling. In a recent video, you can hear the surprise and awe in their voices as they see earth rise above the lunar surface. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders can be heard looking for cameras, and you can even hear the shutter trip on them.
The first picture was actually black and white, and you can hear the call for a color film, which obviously was found in time.
On Christmas Eve during the mission, in a historic live broadcast that night, the crew took turns reading from the Book of Genesis, closing with a holiday wish from Commander Borman: "We close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you -- all of you on the good Earth."
And to think if it hadn't been for a simple roll manoeuvre, that picture might not have been taken on that mission.
TTFN
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