SUMMARY

The legendary 'Earthrise' photograph, widely regarded as the most influential environmental image, was not part of the original Apollo 8 mission plan. It was captured by astronaut Bill Anders on the fourth orbit when the spacecraft's orientation shifted, revealing Earth. Despite initial hesitation from the commander and a rushed process to load color film, Anders managed to take two color exposures with a Hasselblad 500 EL camera before the view disappeared.

TAKEAWAYS

The 'Earthrise' photo was an unplanned shot taken by Bill Anders on Apollo 8.

Anders had less than a minute to find color film and shoot the image.

The commander initially told Anders not to take the photo as it wasn't scheduled.

The iconic image was taken with a Hasselblad 500 EL camera and a 250mm lens.

RELATED COVERAGE

LensDigest archive

Browse by date

Every published day shows its story count. Select a date to open that edition.

Archive calendar

Loading available editions…