The astronauts have reported in vivid detail features of the lunar surface and later witnessed a solar eclipse, when the moon passed in front of the Sun.
The White House also posted a Nasa photograph of the eclipse, revealing what it said is “a view few in human history have ever witnessed”.
Back in 1968, Apollo 8 orbited the moon 10 times without landing. During one orbit, Anders captured Earth’s brilliant blue hue standing out against the vast darkness of space and accentuated by the desolate, grey lunar horizon in the foreground.
“Earthrise” often appears in selections of the most iconic images, and was included in 2003 in Life magazine’s book entitled 100 Photographs That Changed the World.
-Agence France-Presse