Hyeongseop was gazing out Star-Maru’s window at the Earth outside.
“Byeol-i, how do you think people felt the first time they saw Earth from space?”
“Great question, Hyeongseop. There’s actually a famous photo that captured that exact moment. It’s called ‘Earthrise.’”
“Earthrise? What does that mean?”
“In 1968, a spacecraft called Apollo 8 orbited the Moon for the first time. Three astronauts were on board. One of them looked out the window and saw Earth rising above the Moon’s horizon.”
“Like watching a sunrise, but on the Moon?”
“Exactly, except instead of the Sun rising, it was Earth. The astronaut was so surprised he scrambled to grab a camera and snap a photo.”
“What made it so special?”
“That photo was the first color picture of Earth ever taken from space in human history. Nobody had ever seen Earth like that before.”
“What did it feel like, seeing that photo?”
“The astronauts broadcast live to Earth that night, and one of them said something like this: that the vast loneliness out there made him realize just how precious everything back on Earth truly was.”
“I think I understand what he meant. Looking at Earth through Star-Maru’s window feels so different from just seeing it in a photo.”
“A lot of people felt something similar when they saw that photo. That’s why it’s still considered one of the most important photographs in history, one that made people cherish Earth in a whole new way.”
“It’s amazing that one small photo could change so many people’s hearts.”
“Actually, two years after that photo came out, in 1970, the very first Earth Day was created, a holiday for protecting the environment. Many people say it was seeing that photo that first made them truly realize how small and precious Earth is in the middle of all that space.”
“From space, you can’t see any borders on Earth, just one round blue ball. That photo was the first thing that ever showed people that.”
Hyeongseop looked back out the window. Far away, the glowing blue Earth was still there, right where it had been.
“Byeol-i, I want to take a photo like that myself someday.”
“Someday you might, Hyeongseop. Star-Maru is always ready.”
“The ‘Earthrise’ photo, taken by an Apollo 8 astronaut in 1968, was humanity’s first color photograph of Earth seen from space.”
Your Turn Now
Share with someone today what you remember.
- Which spacecraft was the ‘Earthrise’ photo taken from?
- Why was this photo so special?
- What holiday was created two years after this photo?
(Check when ready: 1. Apollo 8. 2. It was the first color photo of Earth ever seen from space. 3. Earth Day.)
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