The famous photo of the Earth taken from lunar orbit by Bill Anders in 1968 named “Earthrise” now has an asteroid named after it. There’s also a crater on the Moon named “Anders’ Earthrise.”
Citation
(79871) Earthrise = 1998 YT7
Discovery: 1998-12-24 / CSS / Mount Bigelow / 703
“Earthrise” is a photograph taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon. Showing Earth above the lunar horizon, it changed humanity’s perception of its home planet and became an icon of the environmental movement. This asteroid was discovered on the 30th anniversary of the photograph.
Source: https://www.wgsbn-iau.org/files/Bulletins/V006/WGSBNBull_V006_007.pdf
JPL Small Body Database: https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=earthrise
Asteroid Orbit
Asteroid (79871) Earthrise orbits within the main asteroid belt with a highly inclined orbit of 22°, and an orbital period of 4.17 years.
The Photo
Anders’ Earthrise (Crater on the Moon)
Anders’ Earthrise is a lunar impact crater located on the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. The crater is visible in the foreground of the famous Earthrise photograph (AS08-14-2383) taken by astronaut William Anders on the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon in 1968. The crater’s designation was approved by the IAU on 5 October 2018.
Meeting with Bill Anders
Reading of Genesis on Christmas Eve From Lunar Orbit
Extra Credit
Follow the entire Apollo 8 mission recreated using a mix of actual footage and commentary from the legendary Walter Cronkite, and simulations using Kerbal Space Program.
