Apollo 8: First Earthrise: the first color photograph of the first Earthrise witnessed by humans. William Anders [Apollo 8], 21–27 December 1968. Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, printed 1968 [NASA AS8–14-2383]. 20.3×25.4 cm (8×10 in), with „A Kodak Paper“ watermarks on the verso (NASA / North American Rockwell).
Literature: LIFE Magazine, January 10, 1969, pp. 20–21; NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC May 1969 pp. 596–597; Schick and Van Haaften, p. 98; Chaikin, Space, p. 83; Newhall pp. 136–37; Jacobs, p. 32; Reynolds, p. 111.
A superb print in great condition.
The first color photograph of the first Earthrise ever witnessed by human beings. Anders took this iconic photograph of the Earth (240,000 statute miles away) rising over the lunar horizon with the 250mm telephoto lens and color magazine 14/D looking west across the western shore of the farside Crater Pasteur. [Original NASA caption for the photograph] The rising Earth is about five degrees above the lunar horizon in this telephoto view taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft near 110 degrees east longitude. The horizon, about 570 kilometers (350 statute miles) from the spacecraft, is near the eastern limb of the Moon as viewed from Earth. Width of the view at the horizon is about 150 kilometers (95 statute miles). On Earth the Sunset terminator crosses Africa. The South Pole is in the white area near the left end of the terminator. North and South America are under the clouds. The lunar surface has less pronounced color than indicated by this print. “There was nothing in the plan for an Earthrise photo. Indeed, we didn’t even see an actual Earthrise until, on our third orbit, we changed the spacecraft’s orientation to heads up and looking forward. As we came round the back side of the moon, where I had been taking pictures of craters near our orbital track, I looked up and saw the startlingly beautiful sight of our home planet ‘rising’ up above the stark and battered lunar horizon. It was the only color against the deep blackness of space. In short, it was beautiful, and clearly delicate.” William Anders (Jacobs, p. 33).
From the mission transcript (photograph taken T+075:48:39 GET after launch):
075:47:46 Anders: Hand me that roll of color quick, will you... 075:47:48 Lovell: Oh man, that’s great! 075:47:50 Anders: ...Hurry. Quick. 075:47:54 Borman: Gee. 075:47:55 Lovell: It’s down here? 075:47:56 Anders: Just grab me a color. That color exterior. 075:48:00 Lovell: [Garble]. 075:48:01 Anders: Hurry up! 075:48:06 Borman: Got one? 075:48:08 Anders: Yeah, I’m looking for one. 075:48:10 Lovell: C 368. [Anders is handed color magazine 14/D; 368 refers to film type, SO-368, an Ektachrome-type transparency film manufactured by Kodak] 075:48:11 Anders: Anything, quick. 075:48:13 Lovell: Here. 075:48:17 Anders: Well, I think we missed it. 075:48:31 Lovell: Hey, I got it right here! [In the hatch window.] 075:48:33 Anders: Let - let me get it out this window. It’s a lot clearer. 075:48:37 Lovell: Bill, I got it framed; it’s very clear right here.
NASA photographs, 9 March 2022