Our stunning blue planet gleams like a jewel against the vast darkness of space.
Most people will never get the chance to see this breathtaking sight in person. Fortunately, those who have ventured into space have documented their experiences, providing us with spectacular views of Earth’s position in the universe.
One such striking image was taken by the late NASA astronaut Al Worden in 1971. During the Apollo 15 mission’s return from the Moon, Worden used a 70mm Hasselblad camera to capture a photograph of crescent Earth, a slender arc of light in space illuminated by the Sun.
As the command module pilot for Apollo 15, Worden spent three of his six days in lunar orbit alone while mission commander David Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin explored the Hadley-Apennine region on the Moon’s surface.
During the return trip, Worden performed the first deep space spacewalk to retrieve film cassettes from the Scientific Instrument Module’s Panoramic and Mapping cameras. The experience and the stunning views he encountered left a lasting impression on him, leading to the publication of the first poetry collection by a returning astronaut in 1974.
His poetry vividly captures the emotions of witnessing the glowing crescent Earth, symbolizing its fragile resilience against the surrounding darkness.
In his poem “Perspective,” Worden expressed:
Of all the stars, moons, and planets,
Of all I can see or imagine,
This is the most beautiful;
All the colors of the universe
Focused on one small globe;
And it is our home, our refuge
Now I know why I’m here;
Not for a closer look at the moon,
But to look back
At our home
The earth.
These powerful reflections stayed with him. In 2011, Worden released “Falling to Earth,” a memoir detailing his journey to the Moon and back.
“Sometimes I am reminded of my fleeting glimpse into infinity while alone on the moon’s far side. I still have lingering questions about what I experienced. The answers won’t come in my lifetime. That will be your task,” he remarked.
“Try it sometime. One day, all of us who traveled to the moon will be gone. Take a walk on a summer night, look up at the moon, and think of us. A part of us remains there and always will.”