The world's first view of Earth from the moon, taken 59 years ago — Space photo of the week

The world's first view of Earth from the moon, taken 59 years ago — Space photo of the week

On Aug. 23, 1966, NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 sent back the first photo of Earth from the moon. It showed a grainy crescent Earth that predated Apollo 8's famous color "Earthrise" by over two years.

The First View Of Earth From The Moon: How A Forgotten 1966 Image Changed Space History

On August 23, 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 1 captured the very first photograph of Earth from the vicinity of the Moon, showing our planet as a delicate crescent rising above the lunar horizon. While the more famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image from 1968 became a cultural milestone, this earlier black-and-white shot was a groundbreaking technical achievement that paved the way for future lunar exploration. According to NASA’s archival record and rep…