Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
  Apollo 8 Earthrise recreated, revealed [video]

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Apollo 8 Earthrise recreated, revealed [video]
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-20-2013 12:12 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center release
NASA to Host Google+ Hangout on 'Earthrise' a New Visualization – 45th Anniversary of Apollo 8 Viewing Earth from Space

NASA will host a Google+ hangout at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) Friday, Dec. 20, to unveil a new simulation of the events leading to the creation of "Earthrise," one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century.

It was 45 years ago on Dec. 24, 1968, when Apollo 8 astronauts captured the photograph called "Earthrise," the first color photograph of Earth taken by a person orbiting the moon.

This new simulation allows anyone to virtually ride with the astronauts and experience the awe they felt at the vista in front of them. The new computer simulation was created using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and includes details not seen in previous visualizations. Launched in June 2009, LRO has conducted science activities and returned a treasure trove of unprecedented images of the lunar surface.

Panelists for the Google+ hangout:

  • John Keller, LRO project scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
  • Ernie Wright, visualization media specialist, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Md.
  • Andrew Chaikin, space historian and author
Google+ hangouts allow as many as 10 people or groups to chat, while thousands more can watch the conversation live on Google+ or YouTube.

NASA social media followers may submit questions on Google+ or Twitter in advance and during the event using the hashtag #Earthrise or #askNASA. Before the hangout begins, NASA Goddard will open a thread on its Facebook page where questions may be posted.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-20-2013 09:33 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
NASA recreates iconic Apollo 8 'Earthrise' 45 years later using orbiter data

It is one of the most famous photos ever taken — the Earth rising over the moon's horizon as seen firsthand by the 1968 Apollo 8 crew. And yet, more than four decades later, details about how the photo was captured are still being uncovered.

Four days shy of the photo's 45th anniversary, NASA on Friday (Dec. 20) released a new simulation of the events that led to the creation of the image known as "Earthrise." The new video was created using topographic data from the space agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been circling the moon since 2009.

"This new simulation allows anyone to virtually ride with the astronauts and experience the awe they felt at the vista in front of them," NASA said in a release teasing the video.

mercsim
Member

Posts: 219
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 12-20-2013 10:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mercsim   Click Here to Email mercsim     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Absolutely wonderful! I got goose bumps watching it. Hearing the crews excitement gives the photos a new sense of awe.

The team that worked on the video deserve a bonus. They did a great job!

keith.wilson
Member

Posts: 92
From: Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 12-20-2013 05:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for keith.wilson     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I thought Borman was the first to spot and announce that the Earth coming up over the horizon and didn't he take the first photo with black and white film? Anders then took the two colour shots.

Also Anders perspective of the scene was vertical with Earth on the left and the Moon on the right although this magnificent image is rarely printed that way.

Nevertheless this simulation of the event is very well done.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-20-2013 05:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to Andrew Chaikin, what this simulation reveals is that Anders was the first to spot it. The quote ("Oh my God! Look at that picture over there!") has been misattributed to Borman.

Chaikin also says, "To be 'really' accurate, the moon is on the left-hand side of the image," based on Anders' view of the scene.

keith.wilson
Member

Posts: 92
From: Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 12-20-2013 06:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for keith.wilson     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Did Anders then take all three images (one black and white and two colour)?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-20-2013 06:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, as Chaikin said during today's Google+ Hangout, NASA Goddard's Ernie Wright pointed out you can hear in the onboard audio every time Anders takes a photo — you can hear the shutter release and the mechanical advance of the Hassleblad camera.

Ronpur
Member

Posts: 1220
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012

posted 12-20-2013 10:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ronpur   Click Here to Email Ronpur     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That was exciting! Very well done. And now I finally know what the front of the Apollo 8 Command Module looked like with no docking probe!!

randy
Member

Posts: 2231
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-20-2013 11:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Brought back some very fond memories.

One Big Monkey
Member

Posts: 171
From: West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2012

posted 12-21-2013 01:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for One Big Monkey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's excellent!

I kind of beat them to it in some respects though — I plotted all of the orbital photos on Google Moon, and you can indeed see the roll of the command module in them! The Google Moon files are here.

It's interesting that the Earthrise phenomena was a piece of serendipity, but went on to become one of the essential Apollo astronaut experiences, and one captured on all the missions except 13.

Captain Apollo
Member

Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 12-21-2013 11:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Captain Apollo   Click Here to Email Captain Apollo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Was Borman serious about the photo not being authorised?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-21-2013 11:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It was a running joke from earlier in the flight, when Anders, who was in charge of the mission's photography, admonished Borman for requesting the camera to take a picture because it was not on their planned list of shots.

stsmithva
Member

Posts: 1940
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 12-22-2013 05:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Apollo:
Was Borman serious about the photo not being authorised?
I also liked Anders' "Calm down, Lovell!" which had to be a joke. They were able to be a little wacky during a rather frantic minute.

gliderpilotuk
Member

Posts: 3400
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 12-22-2013 02:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Awesome! Beautifully recreated and fine audio quality. I like the way Andrew attributes Earthrise to all three astronauts. A very special mission.

DChudwin
Member

Posts: 1110
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 12-25-2013 06:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DChudwin   Click Here to Email DChudwin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As the video shows, the Earth was coming around the Moon and not actually rising. So the Earthrise picture (AS08-14-2383) should be rotated to have the lunar surface to one side and not horizontal as usually depicted.

The original frame shows the Moon on the right with the Earth in the center. This was the vantage point when the photo was taken, although orientation in space is relative and not fixed.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-25-2013 06:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Based on the orientation of the spacecraft at the time (nose down), where Anders was when he took it (in the righthand seat) and what window he was looking out of (his side window), the original frame is upside down. The moon should be on the left and the Earth on the right.

DChudwin
Member

Posts: 1110
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 12-25-2013 09:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DChudwin   Click Here to Email DChudwin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Robert,I believe the thumbnail images in the Apollo photo image catalog have not been altered and represent the film as developed.

Zimmerman in his book on Apollo 8 states the astronauts reported the Earth rising from right to left. This suggests the Moon should be vertical and on the right. Perhaps someone could query Anders, Borman or Lovell as to the orientation of the Moon as they saw it.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-25-2013 11:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to Andy Chaikin, who pointed out the proper moon-left orientation cited above, Anders was consulted in the course of creating the new NASA visualization, which revealed the circumstances under which the photograph was taken.

If you can imagine yourself inside the Apollo 8 command module sitting in the righthand seat, the moon is directly in front of you, filling your forward window. Now look to your right out the side window. The moon is on the left and the blackness of space (punctured by the blue Earth) is to the right.

DChudwin
Member

Posts: 1110
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 12-27-2013 02:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DChudwin   Click Here to Email DChudwin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Space enthusiasts on Facebook (Space Hipsters) and the collectSPACE website have been debating how the famous "Earthrise" photograph taken on Dec. 24, 1968 should be displayed. The picture is usually depicted with the Earth rising over a horizontal lunar surface. However, as Apollo 8 flew around the Moon, the Earth went from right to left horizontally and it was the lunar terminator that was vertical.

The question is whether the image should show the vertical lunar surface to the right or left of the Earth. The original picture in the Apollo Image catalog shows the Moon to the right of the Earth. However, some maintain the correct position is to portray the Moon on the left.

I e-mailed Apollo 8 Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell and asked him the question, sending two versions of the image, one with the Moon on the left, the other on the right.

I have received the following reply:

The moon was to the right of the earth (second photo). However the photo was taken with the moon directly below us much like an airplane view. Therefore the Earthrise photo correctly depicts the scene as we saw it.

lspooz
Member

Posts: 385
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Aug 2012

posted 12-27-2013 04:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lspooz   Click Here to Email lspooz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Kang and Kodos weigh in: "Bah! Nothing but the gravity-prejudiced quibbling of planet-bound primates."

music_space
Member

Posts: 1179
From: Canada
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 12-28-2013 04:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for music_space   Click Here to Email music_space     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by lspooz:
Kang and Kodos weigh in
Priceless!

LM-12
Member

Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010

posted 12-24-2016 10:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The first Earthrise photo (2329) and the first colour Earthrise photo (2383) were both taken with the 250mm lens. Photo 2188 was taken with the 80mm lens.

To the unaided eye, the Earth at Earthrise would look even smaller and more distant, would it not?

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement