About

"Apollo 8 was the first spacecraft to send people out of Earth's orbit. The first to go to the moon. The first in lunar orbit. And leaving Earth's orbit was a momentous step. For the first time humans became true space travelers." -Tom Griffiths The moon has held a special place in cultures across the globe. An object of mystical wonder and focus of scientific inquiry, the moon is an enduring subject for artists, poets and writers. To land on the moon represented not only a remarkable technological achievement, but one that created in human history a shared moment of optimism. An achievement for human ambition and scientific discovery, born out of the geopolitical competition between nations. On Christmas Eve 1968, while Apollo 8 was in lunar orbit, three American astronauts looked out the tiny windows of their ‘tin can’ and saw something that moved them deeply. They gazed not at the Moon for which they had traveled so far, but at the Earth their home, the beautiful blue planet, alone, vulnerable and luminous in an infinity of darkness. Their photograph of ‘Earthrise’ became one of the most powerful images of our time, an unexpected and radical legacy of the Apollo program. In the third episode of this series, Tom explores the history of planetary thinking, especially in the half-century since we first saw the Earth from the Moon. Professor Tom Griffiths is an acclaimed environmental historian who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014 for distinguished service to social, cultural and environmental history and literature. His books and essays have received numerous awards including the Douglas Stewart Prize, Eureka Science Book Prize and Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History. Discover and register for future events in the series at cass.anu.edu.au/wtstw Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Contact Us for more information.