<P> When the spacecraft came out from behind the Moon for its fourth pass across the front, the crew witnessed "Earthrise" for the first time in human history (NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 took the very first picture of an Earthrise from the vicinity of the Moon, on August 23, 1966). Borman saw the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon, and then called in excitement to the others, taking a black - and - white photograph as he did so . In the ensuing scramble Anders took Earthrise, a more famous color photo, later picked by Life magazine as one of its hundred photos of the century . </P> <P> Due to the synchronous rotation of the Moon about the Earth, Earthrise is not generally visible from the lunar surface . Earthrise is generally only visible when orbiting the Moon, other than at selected places near the Moon's limb, where libration carries the Earth slightly above and below the lunar horizon . </P> <P> Anders continued to take photographs while Lovell assumed control of the spacecraft so Borman could rest . Despite the difficulty resting in the cramped and noisy spacecraft, Borman was able to sleep for two orbits, awakening periodically to ask questions about their status . Borman awoke fully, however, when he started to hear his fellow crew members make mistakes . They were beginning to not understand questions and would have to ask for the answers to be repeated . Borman realized that everyone was extremely tired from not having a good night's sleep in over three days . He ordered Anders and Lovell to get some sleep and that the rest of the flight plan regarding observing the Moon be scrubbed . At first Anders protested saying that he was fine, but Borman would not be swayed . At last Anders agreed as long as Borman would set up the camera to continue to take automatic shots of the Moon . Borman also remembered that there was a second television broadcast planned, and with so many people expected to be watching he wanted the crew to be alert . For the next two orbits Anders and Lovell slept while Borman sat at the helm . On subsequent Apollo missions, crews would avoid this situation by sleeping on the same schedule . </P> <P> As they rounded the Moon for the ninth time, the second television transmission began . Borman introduced the crew, followed by each man giving his impression of the lunar surface and what it was like to be orbiting the Moon . Borman described it as being "a vast, lonely, forbidding expanse of nothing". Then, after talking about what they were flying over, Anders said that the crew had a message for all those on Earth . Each man on board read a section from the Biblical creation story from the Book of Genesis . Borman finished the broadcast by wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone on Earth . His message appeared to sum up the feelings that all three crewmen had from their vantage point in lunar orbit . Borman said, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you--all of you on the good Earth ." </P>

What was apollo 8's original mission supposed to be