<\/p>\n Earthrise was more than simply a photograph. Its depiction of Earth<\/a>‘s blue marble rising in the distance above the barren lunar surface illustrated how fragile our world really is amidst the vastness of space, and how, despite our differences, all of us share one planet.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Taken three years into the United States’ direct involvement in the Vietnam War, during an era in which environmental concerns were beginning to gain ground, Earthrise became the poster child for anti-war and pro-environment campaigners.<\/p>\n The photograph was unplanned and unexpected. Unlike Artemis 2, which will swing around the far side of the moon<\/a> just once at an altitude that varies between about 4,000 and 6,000 miles (approximately 6,430 and 9,650 kilometers) without entering lunar orbit, the Apollo 8 spacecraft performed 10 orbits of the moon.<\/p>\n It was during the fourth orbit, as Apollo 8 emerged from the far side of the moon, that Lunar Module Pilot Bill Anders<\/a> spotted something through the window.<\/p>\n “Oh my god, look at that picture over there!” he exclaimed, as recorded in the mission transcript. “There’s Earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty!”<\/p>\n Indeed it was. Anders was armed with a Hasselblad camera with a 250mm telephoto lens. He raised it to take a snap.<\/p>\n “Hey, don’t take that \u2014 it’s not scheduled,” joked Mission Commander Frank Borman<\/a> beside Anders. Though Borman was joking, it did indicate how strictly scheduled everything they did on the mission was.<\/p>\n Anders realized he had a roll of black-and-white film in the camera. Quickly he asked Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell<\/a> for the color film and, switching hatch windows to get a better view, took the photograph that became known as Earthrise.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n \n Artwork depicting how the original Earthrise image may have appeared through the window on board Apollo 8. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)<\/p>\n Part of the beauty of the Earthrise photograph is that it was unplanned and unexpected \u2014 a perfect moment during humanity’s most daring space mission up to that point, and at Christmas too.<\/p>\n The crew of Artemis 2 \u2014 NASA’s Reid Wiseman<\/a>, Victor Glover<\/a>, Christina Koch<\/a>, and Jeremy Hansen<\/a> of the Canadian Space Agency \u2014 could also get a chance to see their own Earthrise, and this time imaging it is most definitely on the schedule.<\/p>\n In fact, they won’t just be going for Earthrise, but also “Earthset” \u2014 capturing Earth close to the lunar horizon just before it slips behind the limb of the moon as Artemis 2 begins its 45-minute journey around the far side. The astronauts will have just minutes, at best, to capture Earthrise and Earthset before our planet either gets too high in the sky or drops below the horizon, respectively.<\/p>\n Even if the crewmates are successful in capturing their images, Artemis 2’s Earthrise (and Earthset) images won’t look exactly like Apollo 8’s. For one thing, Apollo 8 was just 60 miles (97 km) above the lunar surface when Anders took the photograph, while Artemis 2’s Orion capsule, named Integrity<\/a>, will be up to 100 times higher.<\/p>\n They’ll also be using very different cameras. Apollo’s Hasselblad cameras were state of the art at the time, but Artemis 2’s digital Nikon D5 cameras have far greater functionality and control over settings to get the perfect shot.<\/p>\n Another key variable is how the surface of the moon will be illuminated at the time, which depends on exactly when Artemis 2 arrives at the moon. Anders took his image of Earthrise over a lunar surface bathed in sunlight, but that won’t be the case for Artemis 2.<\/p>\n “Although the lunar far side will only be partially illuminated during the flyby, the conditions should create shadows that stretch across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing depth, ridges, slopes, and crater rims that are often difficult to detect under full illumination,” NASA officials said in a statement<\/a> on Thursday (April 2).<\/p>\n \n Artwork comparing how Earthrise might appear for the crew of Artemis 2, depending upon lighting conditions on the lunar surface. Note how far away from the moon the mission will be. (Image credit: NASA Goddard\/SVS)<\/p>\n![\"illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tDRH4wQGC9gC3BWFyx5wng.jpg\")
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