Earthrise Photo: A Journey Through Earth’s Iconic Space Portrait

The Apollo 8 mission marked a key moment in human space exploration. Launched on December 21, 1968, aboard the powerful Saturn V rocket, the mission's primary objective was to orbit the Moon and conduct comprehensive reconnaissance. This mission wasn't just about technical prowess; it was a bold demonstration of human curiosity and the desire to explore new frontiers.

Apollo 8 marked a series of firsts. It was the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth’s orbit, reach the Moon, orbit it, and safely return. However, amid this historic mission, an unexpected moment stole the spotlight—the Earthrise photo.

• Frank Borman: Mission Commander

• James 'Jim' Lovell: Command Module Pilot

• William ‘Bill’ Anders: Lunar Module Pilot and Photographer

Throughout their journey to the Moon, the Apollo 8 spacecraft employed a technique known as the Barbecue Roll Maneuver. This involved slowly rotating the spacecraft along its longitudinal axis to evenly distribute the Sun's heat over its surface. This rotation, at one revolution per hour, helped maintain thermal balance, preventing one side of the spacecraft from overheating and the other from freezing.

This maneuver was crucial for the functioning of the onboard systems and the safety of the astronauts. It marked the astronauts’ departure from the comfortable familiarity of Earth’s orbit into the mysterious environment of cislunar space.

As Apollo 8 completed its fourth orbit around the Moon on Christmas Eve, the astronauts suddenly witnessed an awe-inspiring sight—Earth rising above the barren lunar horizon.

• Lunar Orbit Insertion : Perfectly executed by the Apollo 8 team.

• Maneuvering the Spacecraft : Borman’s adjustment allowed Anders a clear view.

• Instant Recognition : Anders’ exclamation led to a rapid capture of the Earthrise sequence.

It all began with this…

Anders: "Oh my God! Look at that picture over there! There's the Earth coming up. Wow, that's pretty."

Borman (jokingly): "Hey, don't take that, it's not scheduled."

Anders: "You got a color film, Jim? Hand me that roll of color quick, would you..."

Lovell: "Oh man, that's great!"

Initial Setup

Anders was photographing the lunar surface with a modified Hasselblad 500 EL camera loaded with black-and-white film. The camera had to function flawlessly in space conditions, handling significant temperature fluctuations and vacuum.

Spotting Earthrise

The spacecraft was completing its fourth orbit, and as it moved, Borman noticed the Earth rising above the lunar horizon. Anders quickly realized the importance of the scene and wanted to capture it in color.

Switching Film

Anders requested a roll of color film, Ektachrome SO-368, with ASA 64 sensitivity.

He swiftly switched the film, ensuring the settings were adjusted correctly despite the critical time constraint. Before Anders found a suitable 70 mm color film, mission commander Frank Borman took a black-and-white photograph of the scene, with the Earth's terminator touching the horizon.

Setting the Exposure

The stark contrast between the brightly lit Earth and the dark lunar surface required precise exposure settings. Anders set the aperture to f/11 and the shutter speed to 1/250 second to balance the luminance of both Earth and the Moon.

Capturing the Image

With the correct film and settings, Anders aimed the camera and took a series of shots, ensuring at least one perfect exposure.

The rapid yet meticulous adjustments demonstrated Anders's technical skill and quick thinking.

The iconic Earthrise photograph was taken by 16:39:39.3 UTC on December 24, 1968. 

It was during the fourth of 10 orbits completed by Apollo 8's command module. The photo is cataloged as AS08-14-2383.

To better convey the sensation of Earth rising over the lunar landscape, the original image was rotated 95 degrees clockwise. The published Earthrise photograph displays Earth rotated approximately 135 degrees clockwise from the typical north-south pole orientation, positioning south to the left.

Capturing the Earthrise photo wasn’t without challenges. The spacecraft’s rotation, the limited availability of clear windows, and the need for quick reactions underscored the complexity of the task. Taking the Earthrise photo required sophisticated equipment and impeccable timing. The Apollo 8 crew was well-prepared, carrying high-quality photographic gear to document their lunar journey.

• Camera: Hasselblad 500 EL/M

• Lens: Zeiss Sonnar 250mm f/5.6

• Film: 70mm Ektachrome (ASA 64)

• Lens : Zeiss Sonnar 250 mm f/5.6 - This long-focus lens was ideal for capturing distant objects with high detail from the spacecraft.

• Film: Custom 70 mm Ektachrome film developed by Kodak - This color reversal film had an ASA 64 sensitivity, which was suitable for handling the extreme contrasts of light in space.

Setting the correct exposure was critical due to the sharp contrast between the brightly lit Earth and the dark lunar surface. Anders used the following settings:

• Aperture : f/11

• Shutter Speed : 1/250 second

These settings were meticulously chosen to balance the luminance of Earth and the Moon while capturing the intricate details of both.

Given the circumstances and technical capabilities, capturing the Earthrise photograph was a remarkable achievement.

The conditions had to be perfect—a crewed mission orbiting the Moon, astronauts with the presence of mind to seize an unplanned photographic opportunity, and the technical equipment to capture it.

The combination of the modified Hasselblad 500 EL camera and the custom Ektachrome film allowed for precise and clear captures that showcased the nuanced beauty of Earth. The camera had to function flawlessly in the extreme environments of space, including significant temperature fluctuations and the vacuum of space.

Anders was photographing the Moon with black-and-white film when he first saw Earthrise. His quick decision to switch films and adjust settings under immense pressure displayed high adaptability and technical skill, ensuring the moment was captured perfectly.

The spacecraft's precise orbital path, the angle of the Sun illuminating both the Earth and the lunar surface, and the advanced Hasselblad camera's capability to capture such a detailed image all aligned perfectly.

Without any of these elements, the photograph that profoundly shifted humanity's perception of Earth would never have been captured.

Foggy windows and shooting photos "blindly," it wasn’t even part of the plan, and the original image had a completely different... orientation.

In this image captured from Apollo 8 at around 110 degrees east longitude, Earth appears to rise about five degrees above the lunar horizon. The horizon, approximately 570 kilometers (or 250 miles) from the spacecraft, is near the eastern edge of the Moon as seen from Earth. The sunset terminator line crosses Africa, with the south pole visible in the white region near the left end of the terminator. North and South America are obscured under cloud cover. The colors of the lunar surface in this print are likely more vivid than they appear in reality.