About the Artwork On Christmas Eve, 1968, the astronauts of Apollo 8 bore witness to the rising of the Earth over the lunar horizon. The image of the Earth seen in one eyespan has since become one of the most powerful images of the 21st century. Accordingly, Earthrise is a celebration of exploration and perspective. It is a reminder to the people of Earth that the world really isn't all that big, and that the oceans and rivers that divide us are really small parts of a connected whole. Edgar Mitchell, Astronaut of Apollo 14, described the view this way: Suddenly, from behind the rim of the moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth ... home.