Iconic Earthrise Photo Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Forty-five years ago next week, the first humans left the Earth to orbit the Moon.  Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders were the first to look down on the Moon from a distance of 100 km and the first to witness the Earth rising over the lunar limb.

Earthrise as seen by the Apollo 8 astronauts on December 24, 1968.

The photo of the Earthrise was not planned by the Apollo 8 crew and in fact was an accident. This video below, narrated by Apollo program expert and the author of "A Man On The Moon" Andy Chaikin describes how it happened.