14 DAY TRIAL // The image above is undoubtedly one of the most famous ever captured on film. It depicts our planet as it appeared from behind the Moon, on December 24, 1968. At that time, the NASA Apollo 8 mission was in full-swing, and setting the stage for the first manned landing on Earth's natural satellite.
Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders took off from Earth on December 21, aboard a massive Saturn V heavy-lift delivery system. They did not land on the Moon, but rather circled it 10 times before returning home, on December 27.
On Christmas Eve, they were coming into view of Earth after passing behind the Moon, and the crew noticed how our planet appears to rise, similarly to how the Moon or the Sun does. The title stuck and now, 45 years later, it still represents a splendid description of this breathtaking image.
This is the first photograph of Earth to be collected from deep space, by the first ever human crew to orbit the Moon. Additionally, Apollo 8 marked the first time a Saturn V rocket was used for transporting people to Earth's natural satellite.