On 24 December 1968, the Apollo 8 spacecraft was orbiting the Moon. As it emerged from behind the Moon’s far side, an extraordinary sight appeared before the astronauts. Slowly rising above the Moon’s barren and gray horizon, Earth came into view.

Recognizing the significance of the moment, astronaut William Anders immediately reached for a camera. At the time, the onboard camera was intended primarily for photographing the lunar surface. Acting on instinct, he quickly loaded color film, adjusted the angle, and captured an image of Earth. This photograph was neither planned nor instructed as part of the mission.Yet history was made in that unplanned moment.

The image, later known as Earthrise, became the first photograph of Earth taken from lunar orbit and preserved by a human using a camera. Its historical importance lies in the fact that it marked the first time a human observer captured Earth from space in its entirety.

Before this, images of Earth, including those taken in 1966 by Lunar Orbiter 1, were produced exclusively by automated spacecraft, without any direct human involvement.

The Earthrise photograph profoundly reshaped global thinking about the environment, natural resources, and the protection of the planet. In the United States, its influence was reflected in the adoption of environmentally conscious land-use policies, stricter zoning regulations in urban and suburban areas, and the creation of green belts designed to curb uncontrolled urban expansion and preserve Earth’s natural beauty.