Command Module Pilot Michael Collins took this iconic Apollo 11 photo 55 years ago after orbiting the far side of the moon, earning the title of “the world’s loneliest man.”
Where it is: 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) from Earth When it was taken: July 21, 1969
Why it’s special: This photo includes every human alive on July 21, 1969, except Collins, who took the image. The day before, Apollo 11 Mission Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin had become the first humans to walk on the moon. Collins, waiting 60 miles (97 km) above in the command module Columbia, captured this image as Eagle ascended to rendezvous with Columbia for their journey home.
The photo is iconic for its composition, showing Earth above the moon’s horizon, echoing the famous “Earthrise” image taken by Apollo 8’s Lunar Module Pilot Bill Anders. Collins’ photo uniquely captures Armstrong and Aldrin in Eagle with Earth in the background, making him “the world’s loneliest man.”
In his book “Carrying the Fire,” Collins described the profound solitude of his solo lunar orbit, emphasizing the isolation from all known life.
The image, cataloged as AS11-44-6642HR in NASA’s Apollo 11 archive, was shot using a Hasselblad camera.
