The most famous picture of Earth ever taken turns 50 today — here's the fascinating story behind it

NASA

• "Earthrise" is the first image of Earth captured by humans from space. 
• The photo of Earth was taken aboard Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968, by lunar module pilot Bill Anders.
• The image made people aware of Earth's fragility, since it was seen against the blackness of space.

On December 24, 1968 — exactly 50 years ago — Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders became the first humans to circle the moon.

The mission was historic. But equally memorable is the famous "Earthrise" photo that resulted, showing Earth rising above the lunar landscape.

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See Also:

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• Saturn’s rings are vanishing at a much faster rate than initially thought, according to NASA
• 85% of Americans would give NASA a giant raise, but most don't know how little the space agency gets as a share of the federal budget

SEE ALSO: 50 years have passed since NASA's Apollo 8 mission circled the moon for the first time — here is every Apollo mission explained

from Business Insider https://read.bi/2EODbwa