Everyone knows this photo. The author just died in a plane crash

Bill Anders is a member the second manned mission in NASA's history as part of the Apollo program. The crew was there too the first group of humans to reach beyond Earth's orbit and orbit the Moon. One of the most memorable photos of Earth also comes from this flight. They were performed by none other than Billy Anders. After finishing his career as an astronaut, he also worked in the aerospace industry and was an ambassador. However, his name will be remembered forever in history thanks to the unique photograph he took during the Apollo 8 flight.

He lived for 90 years and was an inspiration to many

According to the BBC, Bill Anders died in a plane crash at the age of 90. The small plane he was traveling in allegedly crashed into the sea off the coast of Washington state. The former astronaut's body has already been recovered. Details of the crash are still being investigated. However, the death itself caused waves of condolences – Anders, thanks to his photography, became an inspiration for many people in the space industry, but also for people who care about the Earth.

Anders captured the iconic Earthrise photo precisely on Christmas Eve in 1968. The photograph shows the surface of the Moon in the foreground, however the Earth looms in the distance, partially illuminated by the Sun. According to the BBC, the astronaut himself later described it as his most significant contribution to the space program. Speaking about this moment, Anders said: “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing we discovered was the Earth.”