The Astronaut Who Captured the Famous “Earthrise” Died in Plane Crash

The last flight of Bill Anders

“Earthrise” as photographed by Bill Anders in 1968 (photo: NASA)

Last Friday, Bill Anders, the NASA astronaut who took one of the most famous photos ever made, died in a plane crash near the coast of Washington state.

I don’t know how often I have used his famous photo “Earthrise” in presentations I gave worldwide to raise awareness for climate change, but it’s at least dozens of times. I also used the image for years as my screensaver.

You will likely have heard of painters like Degas or Dali but may struggle to name their most famous paintings. It’s the other way around for many photographers; their most well-known photo is often recognized worldwide by all of us, but their names are less familiar. So, you may not have heard of Bill Anders, but I find it hard to believe that there would be readers who don’t recognize his iconic photo.