• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
‘Earthrise’ explained as stunning footage from Japanese space orbiter resurfaces

Home> Technology> Space

Updated 13:39 29 Jul 2025 GMT+1Published 13:38 29 Jul 2025 GMT+1

‘Earthrise’ explained as stunning footage from Japanese space orbiter resurfaces

It's easy to see why the awe-inspiring footage has gone viral

Ellie Kemp

Ellie Kemp

Mind-blowing footage of 'Earthrise' captured by a Japanese space orbiter has resurfaced online.

The birth of space exploration has brought us to the attention some incredible marvels from millions of miles away.

From a terrifying snap of an astronaut floating in space to an asteroid against the vast darkness of the void, they're truly spectacular.

And now, footage from Japan's Kaguya moon mission has gone viral on social media.

Advert

A video captured by the space orbiter shows the Earth appearing to rise from behind our moon - an unusual sight to behold and reminiscent of a sunrise - in what's been appropriately dubbed 'Earthrise'.

Kaguya was the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) second mission to explore the moon from orbit, launching on September 14, 2007.

Japan's Kaguya spacecraft captured the mesmerizing footage in 2007 (JAXA)
Japan's Kaguya spacecraft captured the mesmerizing footage in 2007 (JAXA)

On November 7, the spacecraft captured the spectacular footage of the 'Earthrise' - the first since the Apollo missions some 39 years prior.

Taking to Reddit's R/SpacePorn community, one person posted a GIF of the space phenomenon and added: "Earth rise is beautiful."

The post has since been upvoted more than nine thousand times and received hundreds of comments.

As to be expected, these ranged from awe-struck to tongue-in-cheek.

"I don't mean to brag but... I live over there," one person typed, as a second simply remarked: "Incredible."

"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us," a third wrote, quoting US astronomer Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot.

Meanwhile, another quipped: "Post this in the flat Earth sub."

Earthrise was first witnessed and captured by humans on December 24, 1968, when NASA astronaut Bill Anders took what became a literal world-first photo.

"Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard," NASA explains of the iconic photo.

The Apollo 8 Earth rise was captured in 1968 (NASA)
The Apollo 8 Earth rise was captured in 1968 (NASA)

It was dubbed 'the most influential environmental photograph ever taken' by nature photographer Galen Rowell.

The sight of our planet was one that caught the Apollo 8 crew totally off-guard.

As historian Robert Poole explained, the lack of preparation made the sight of Earth feel like a revelation - not just for the astronauts in orbit, but for everyone watching from the ground.

"We came all this way to explore the Moon, Apollo 8 and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth," astronaut Bill Anders said of the photo.

Featured Image Credit: JAXA/NHK

Topics: Earth, Japan, Moon, NASA, Reddit, Space, US News

Ellie Kemp
Ellie Kemp

Ellie joined UNILAD in 2024, specialising in SEO and trending content. She moved from Reach PLC where she worked as a senior journalist at the UK’s largest regional news title, the Manchester Evening News. She also covered TV and entertainment for national brands including the Mirror, Star and Express. In her spare time, Ellie enjoys watching true crime documentaries and curating the perfect Spotify playlist.

X

@EllieKempOnline

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Ex-NASA astronaut who spent 695 days in space reveals ‘strict’ routine that's key for a successful mission
  • NASA astronaut captures stunning photo from space that makes us feel very small
  • Astronaut Suni Williams explains what she realized when looking down at the Earth after 608 days in space
  • Incredible footage caught on world's first 4k stream from space shows SpaceX rocket coming to rescue 'stranded' astronauts

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
15 hours ago
3 days ago
4 days ago
  • Cheng Xin/Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Americans claim TikTok is ‘over’ and delete app after seeing ‘insane’ new terms of service policy

    Could this be the start of the end?

    Technology
  • Tim Robberts/Getty Images
    15 hours ago

    How much money Apple users could get as chunks of $95,000,000 settlement paid into bank accounts

    You might notice an unusual deposit in your account this week

    Technology
  • Getty Stock Image
    3 days ago

    Woman who uses the 'unicorn prompt' reveals how it instantly fixes the worst AI chatbot problem

    The prompt should stop AI chatbots from guessing as often

    Technology
  • Hottrix
    4 days ago

    How much money iconic iBeer app made its creator as he explains why it was so popular

    The inventor says he now 'lives comfortably' thanks to the quirky 2008 app

    Technology