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Here are some cool Apollo 8 photos. You can make any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then choose “Set as Desktop Background”.
Earthrise - as seen from Apollo 8
This spectacular image of the earth as seen from the moon was taken by the astronauts onboard the Apollo 8 space craft in December 1968. Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight mission to successfully escape from the earth’s gravitational field.
Earth from Apollo 8
This is an image of the planet earth from space as seen by the Apollo 8 astronauts. The Apollo 8 mission is the first human spaceflight that was able to leave the earth’s orbit.
Apollo 8 reentry photograph
Here’s an image of the reentry of the Apollo 8 spacecraft to the planet earth. This was captured by the U.S. Air Force ALOTS (Airborne Lightweight Optical Tracking System) camera onboard the KC-135-A aircraft on December 27, 1968.
Oblique view of the lunar surface
This is an oblique view of the lunar surface taken during the Apollo 8 mission on December 24, 1968. The surface of the moon has a lot of craters caused by asteroid impacts.
Launch of Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission
This is a picture of the Apollo 8 mission launch which happened on December 21, 1968. The Apollo 8 mission was launched through the Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503 spacecraft.
We have written many articles about the Apollo 8 mission for Universe Today. Here’s an article about the Apollo 8 mission, and here’s an article about Astronaut Bill Anders’ reflection on the earthrise picture.
If you’d like more info on the Apollo 8 mission, check out the Apollo 8 Mission Page, and here’s a link to the NASA Human Spaceflight: Apollo 8 Mission Website.
We’ve also recorded an entire episode of Astronomy Cast all about Moon Exploration. Listen here, Episode 114: The Moon, Part 2: Exploration of the Moon.
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