The making of the iconic space photographs that put Earth in its proper celestial context 45 years ago has been recreated thanks to a new visualization from NASA.
Produced by the Scientific Visualization Studio at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, the video (see above) is called "Earthrise: The 45th Anniversary." It offers a real-time look at how the amazing image was captured.
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Featuring archived footage and audio that is synchronized with computer-generated graphics recreating the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, the six-minute video aims to educate, as well as commemorate the mission's 45th anniversary.
"The new visualization tells us not only what time the photos were taken, but also exactly which way the spacecraft was pointing and therefore which window each photo was taken from,” Ernie Wright, project lead for the simulation, said in a statement.
“This will also be the first time we've released a video that's synchronized with the onboard audio recording of the astronauts."
Considering the amazingly lifelike special effects of space films like Gravity, NASA’s Earthrise is less a realistic simulation of space, and more a dramatic illustration of an important moment in human history. NASA also conducted a one-hour Google Hangout (see above video) Saturday to discuss the anniversary; it featured Wright, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project scientist John Keller and narrator Andrew Chaikin (author of Man on the Moon).
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Image: NASA