From Apollo 8 was taken what has been called "our planet's most famous photo," today 1968:

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Now it's the right day. I posted this two days ago. Beschloss had the day wrong. The picture was taken on December 24, 1968.

Wed Dec 22, 2021: This message was self-deleted by its author

From Apollo 8 was taken what has been called “our planet’s most famous photo,” today 1968:

Link to tweet

[lastlib]

1. "And from the crew of Apollo 8,,,,

...we close with 'Good Night, Good Luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you on the good Earth.'"

[PJMcK]

3. That Biblical reading resulted in a lawsuit

An atheist claimed that the government mission should not have Biblical readings because it violated the separation of church and state.

https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-history/our-spaceflight-heritage-the-atheist-and-apollo-8/

[Wounded Bear]

5. That kind of annoys me, too, but I wouldn't sue over it...nt

[PJMcK]

7. Many of the early astronauts were devout Christians

Buzz Aldrin took communion shortly after he and Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. NASA kept that quiet after the Apollo 8 episode.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. It was infuriating

For me, it tarnished the accomplishment. I worked long, hard hours on that mission, and that felt like a slap in the face.

[BlackSkimmer]

15. I cannot imagine being offended by anyone's religion. Especially a message of peace.

Ymmv.

[Meowmee]

20. I don't remember this well

But I am sure I heard it at some point. My brother says he listened to it on the radio as he was in bed. I am sure my father didn’t appreciate that part either. I don’t really care for it now. It sounds ridiculous also since they were orbiting the moon I think.

[PJMcK]

2. 1968 was a tough year

The Vietnam War was raging claiming thousands of American soldiers their lives.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Richard Nixon was elected President.

Civil unrest was burning through American cities.

A generational rift was splitting the American people.

Then, during the holiday season, NASA embarked on a bold and dangerous endeavor on their goal to landing people on the Moon: They sent 3 astronauts to orbit the Moon. As their command and service modules rounded the Moon, they saw and photographed the Earth providing a unique perspective. It was beautiful and humbling and thrilling. The moment provided hope and inspiration.


Someone sent the astronauts and NASA a congratulatory telegram that read, “Thank you for saving 1968.”

[Martin Eden]

6. +1

I turned 11 in 1968. It was a tumultuous year in a decade of troubles.

[EYESORE 9001]

4. I blinked when that photo was taken

Good to see I didn’t ruin it.

[TheRickles]

10. Good one!

[BlackSkimmer]

18. Well played!

Took me a minute lol.

[Rebl2]

8. One of my

favorite pictures of our fragile planet. I also appreciated the biblical reading they did. I was eleven and do remember them doing this.

[BlackSkimmer]

17. Same here.

I wasn’t raised in a religious home. Mom an agnostic, Dad an atheist.

Neither minded that statement coming to us from space.

[Boomerproud]

9. Awe-inspiring. I was 12 and this is an enduring memory.

[niyad]

11. Earthrise

[George II]

12. Everyone was glued to their televisions that night for the message from Apollo 8:

[hunter]

14. My grandfather had that photo hanging in his mad-scientist home workshop.

He was an aerospace engineer who made various bits of metal for the Apollo Project.

I inherited his "In Appreciation for your contribution..." Apollo 8 medallion. It's not a valuable thing, many thousands were made, but it's valuable to me.

He was an Army Air Corp officer in World War II and then an aerospace engineer but he never talked about any military work he did. It's a complete mystery how he acquired his knack for metals that were then considered "exotic."

In his mind defeating the Nazis and Imperial Japan, and later deterring Soviet Expansion, was a necessary business. It was a job that had to be done, with secrets that needed to be kept.

If you asked him about his military work he'd be gruff and dismissive. If you asked him about his work for the Apollo Project or space exploration his eyes would light up and one never knew where the conversation might go, anywhere from making parts out of titanium to UFOs.

[pecosbob]

19. Every time I hear exotic metals I think of Roswell.

[pecosbob]

16. I was nine...my dad worked at NASA on satellites

My mom and dad flew to the Cape for that one but we had to stay home.

[mike_c]

21. I was 13 that christmas eve

The Apollo program inspired me, kindling a life long love of science that ultimately fueled my career.