#apollo 8

[gemini-enthusiast]

In honor of the 56th anniversary of Apollo 8, here's footage of the launch of humanity's first trip around the moon.

[mindblowingscience]

The astronaut who captured the famous first colour photo of the Earth from space has died in a plane crash in the US. William Anders, 90, was the only person aboard the small aircraft he was piloting when it plummeted off the coast of Jones Island, near Washington state, on Friday. His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death, adding the family is "devastated". "He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly," he added. Mr Anders circled the moon with Apollo 8 in December 1968, in the first human spaceflight to leave Earth's orbit.

Continue Reading.

[theofficialastronomy101]

The Earth As Seen From

[humanoidhistory]

Boys in Virginia watch the Apollo 8 broadcast from the Moon, December 24, 1968.

[lonestarflight]

Apollo 8 Astronauts Lovell, left, Borman, and Anders enjoy some pre-holiday cheer on the eve of their launch to the Moon.

Date: December 1968

NASA ID: link

[cosmonautroger]

William Anders, Apollo 8, 1968

[todaysdocument]

Rising Earth Greets Apollo VIII Astronauts

Record Group 306: Records of the U.S. Information AgencySeries: Master File Photographs of U.S. and Foreign Personalities, World Events, and American Economic, Social, and Cultural Life

This image is a color photograph of earth from lunar orbit.  The surface of the moon appears on the right edge of the image.  To the left, the earth appears to be floating in the blackness of space.  Just over half of the earth is visible, the rest is in shadow.

[c86]

Apollo VIII Christmas Menu, 1968

[spacewonder19]

Our Home © NASAEarth, Apollo 8

[roversrovers]

does it ever drive you crazy

just how fast the night changes

[theoutcastrogue]

RIP William Anders, the Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic Earthrise photo in 1968.

Here's why I adore this photo, enormous cliché notwithstanding.

1) Oh this is a stupid gorgeous planet that we have. Look at it! Just look at it! This shot is close enough for earth to be immediately recognisable and breathtakingly beautiful, but not too close: it doesn't invite you to zoom in and worry about silly things like borders, it invites you to take a step back (well the camera took a step back for you!) and take it ALL in, with a different perspective – from a different celestial body, a whole other world.

2) It's not really an earthrise, though. There's no such thing as an earthrise from the moon, because it's gravitationally locked to the earth. So from our perspective it rises and sets, wanes and waxes, and we only ever see one side of it (the other one is famously dark), while from the moon's perspective the earth is either always visible, or (if you're on the dark side of the moon) never visible.

The "earthrise" effect came from the trajectory of the Apollo 8 mission: it circled around the moon, without landing, and as it was moving from above the dark side of the moon towards the light one, the earth slowly emerged into view, and appeared to "rise". This is essentially a trick photo – photography is the perfect medium for deceiving without actually lying. And what a deception!

So why does that matter? It matters because this picture is simultaneously a revelation and an illusion, thus combining the two cornerstones of science, and indeed of that basic stance of curiosity we need to maintain towards the world around us: DELIGHT and DOUBT. They don't sabotage each other, they're complementary!

So that's what Earthrise tells me: question everything, be inspired by everything. Also, we only have one home and we need to fucking share it, and not fucking destroy it. But perhaps that's better illustrated with the Pale Blue Dot and similar.

bonus pic: The dark side of the moon, with earth in the background. Photo captured by China's Chang'e 5 test vehicle in 2014, from just past the halfway point on its lunar-looping test flight. Isn't it amazing?

[oldkitty]

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/inside-apollo-8-spacecraft-december-1968/ Credit: NASA

"The most impressive aspect of the flight was [when] we were in lunar orbit. We’d been going backwards and upside down, didn’t really see the Earth or the Sun, and when we rolled around and came around and saw the first Earth rise. [T]hat certainly was, by far, the most impressive thing. To see this very delicate, colorful orb which to me looked like a Christmas tree ornament coming up over this very stark, ugly lunar landscape..." Bill Anders, Apollo 8 LMP, on his thoughts about taking the iconic Earthrise photograph.

[NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project. Edited Oral History Transcript: William A. Anders, Interviewed by Paul Rollins Houston, Texas – 8 October 1997]

RIP to another Apollo legend, 1933-2024.

[tedkennedyswife]

1969, Joan Kennedy + Edward Kennedy at Apollo 8 Launch

[a-typical]

Earth in the lunar sky is nearly 14 times larger than the Moon in Earth’s sky. Earth is also about 2.5 times more reflective than the Moon, although the exact value from moment to moment varies with cloud cover. So full Earth viewed from the Moon is about 35 times brighter than full Moon viewed from Earth. Unlike what’s implied by NASA’s Earthrise photo, snapped from the orbiting Apollo 8 command module, Earth neither rises nor sets on the Moon. Viewed from the Moon’s near side, Earth never leaves the sky. From the Moon’s far side, you might never know Earth existed at all.

— Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization - Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022)

[copperbadge]

Howdy! Have you ever been to see the Apollo 8 command module at the Museum of Science and Industry in your fair city? My only real "bucket list" things are to see all the Apollo CMs as I am a Space Nerd.

I have! I mean, I didn't go to the MSI specifically to see the command module, but I have seen it while at the MSI. It's kind of off in this weird little "Hey, space is awesome!" section of the museum, which didn't have much impact on me but probably would be super fun for someone who's more into space! (I like space and such, I just don't have an emotional stake in it.)

And the MSI is a lot of fun so even if you plan to spend some serious time basking in the glory of space, there's a lot else to see. Don't miss the Fairy Castle, the Hatching Chicks, and the Whole Ass Entire Wing About The Weather.

I'm of two minds about whether to also recommend to you the Adler Planetarium; on the one hand there's a lot of Space Stuff to see, including a tiny little antique planetarium ride that's very fun, but on the other hand if you're seriously into space it might feel a little lightweight. It's a nice place to spend an hour or two but not a whole-day visit the way the MSI would be.

In any case I hope you get out here to see it! I like to have a "mission" when I go to a strange city, but in part that's because it makes a nice framework for seeing the rest of the city -- like I'm there for XYZ, but I'll do some touristing and any other fun I have will be a bonus!

Pro tip: Whatever anyone tells you DO NOT TAKE THE METRA TRAIN TO THE MSI. Take the bus, take a cab, DO NOT take the Metra. It's a commuter rail, it's highly unpredictable, and they often don't announce the names of the stops so it's very hard to navigate as a tourist. Take the Jackson Park Express (#6) and play Weird Al's song Jackson Park Express (about the #6)...or use Google to plan a route if the 6 doesn't pick up near where you're staying. But do not take the Metra. It will only cause you pain.

(If you can handle a little walk, do go to Medici's for a meal after the museum, they're great.)

[lonestarflight]

The Apollo 8 (CSM-103/LTA-B/SA-503) stack at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This was during a prelaunch alert-mobile service structure pull back. (Mobile launch tower on left and mobile service structure on right.)

Date: December 17, 1968

NASA ID: S68-55424, S68-55415