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Space
Space
Science
Brandon Specktor

Scientists scan famous 'Earthrise' crater on mission to find alien life in our solar system

Two of the craters seen in Apollo 8 astronaut William Bill Anders' iconic Earthrise photo have now been named by the International Astronomical Union in honor of the 50th anniversary of the mission. .

A lunar crater immortalized in one of the most famous photographs ever taken has just played a key role in the hunt for alien life in our solar system.

Stretching nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) across the far side of the moon, the lunar impact crater formerly known as "Pasteur T" may be the most-viewed lunar crater in history. Countless Earthlings have seen it spreading prominently through the foreground of the iconic "Earthrise" photo snapped by American astronaut William Anders on Dec. 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. The majestic photo, which shows a half-lit Earth rising majestically above the lunar horizon, became so famous that the crater was renamed "Anders' Earthrise" in 2018.

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