This Island, Earth

Season’s Greetings! To all on (and off) the planet as we revisit ‘Earthrise’, the most influential image of the twentieth-century.

With the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft earlier this month, on 12 December 2022, the Artemis 1 mission concluded successfully. heralding a new Moon Age. More than half a century ago, on 24 December 1968, the Apollo 8 mission’s CSM-103 spacecraft had orbited the Moon and its three astronauts — Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders — had become the first humans to travel beyond the Moon and witness an Earthrise… and, almost accidentally, William Anders had captured a world-changing photograph — the first photo-portrait of our world.

‘Earthrise’ photographed 24 December 1968 by Bill Anders from Apollo 8 [image source at NASA]

The very first ‘portrait’ was in black and white, taken before the Earth had risen clear of the lunar horizon, but swapping the film led to the photograph we all know: The planet’s colours and clarity are striking as it hangs in featureless infinite black over the barren, almost colourless surface of the cold Moon. It’s a beautiful photograph, both in formal composition and aesthetic purity. A powerful image, conveying a haunting poetic poignancy and evoking a strong emotional response.

From NASA recordings of the moment the image was captured:

Anders: Oh my God, look at that…