Earthrise: What It's Like to Escape Our Planet | Op-Docs

What is it like to see the universe in a way no one ever has before? In “Earthrise,” this week’s new Op-Doc, the astronauts of Apollo 8 tell the tale of humanity’s first journey beyond Earth’s orbit. Director Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee - who previously directed the Op-Docs “Sanctuaries of Silence,” “Vanishing Island” and “Who Speaks Wukchumni?” - masterfully weaves archival NASA footage and candid interviews with the astronauts themselves to explore what deep space means for the human spirit.
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[@cardayz1391]

"When I hear people chanting that we ought to go on to Mars, I'm thinking...why don't we get our act together here on Earth first, and go to Mars as human beings, not as jingoistic Americans or Chinese or Russians or Indians. Let's just do it as human beings." Beautiful

[@mcearl8073]

cardayz Beautiful yes but somewhat unrealistic. Though I’d say we did pretty good with the ISS. If we wait till everyone on earth has our collective act together we will never go anywhere. I do find it interesting that a lot of Apollo astronauts seem somewhat negative towards the idea of a mars mission.

[@nebtheweb8885]

@@mcearl8073 very unrealistic. It's been what, forty-something years since going to the moon, and it will be a good while before going to Mars, and in that time.. nothing here on earth tells me that we are 'getting our act together here on earth' so I say, go to mars, or at least back to the moon because nothing here on earth is going to change. Not like he meant anyway. Ironically it is the space industry that at least is trying to work with different countries with the International Space Station. Other than that it's the same ole same old.

[@cardayz1391]

@@nebtheweb8885 Why not try? Just because it isn't going anywhere at the moment?

[@nebtheweb8885]

@@cardayz1391 What makes you think we aren't trying? Back when WW1 happened, little did people know that just 21 years later would be another world war. Then the atomic age came in and people were afraid that WW3 was going to happen even sooner than the 21 years between WW1 and 2. However, somehow that hasn't happened despite world chaos. We've lasted over 70 years without a WW so we have to be doing something right.

[@cardayz1391]

@@nebtheweb8885 People don't actually care about global unity. If they did we wouldn't be so hostile against immigrants and be against learning about other cultures in school. People don't care about unity, and the only reason we haven't had another WW is because the world is too interconnected (at least among developed countries) for war. It is no longer profitable to invade when we import so much.

[@chegeny]

If we could all somehow have the extraordinary perspective these astronauts were given, perhaps we would be a little kinder to one another and more interested in taking care of this miraculous little planet.

[@spearhead787]

Chegeny it would change the world forever, if everyone could have that chance.

[@Cowboy1Brian]

thats exactly what he said at the end, on stage

[@dreamscapesflstudiomobilec3396]

Remember there is alot about our reality we are not told about, stuff that would change every single life within the earth realm. Im pretty sure, even without proof that the accepted version of where we live is a lie, NASA Never A Straight Answer, did you know that the word Nasa simply means to decieve in hebrew , they are outright telling you in there name thet are liars and yet most would rather believe a comfortable lie then a painful truth. Cognative Dissonance at its finest, just remember us when we tell you i told you so!!!! We will all suffer because of you!!!!

[@k.c.r.5974]

NASA has more interest in sending junk into space and other planets than it does Earth and human beings...trillions upon trillions of dollars and natural resources as well as time and effort have gone into NASA while the homeless and poor populations continue to expand and the masses are struggling just to survive. Wake up

[@skramamme685]

I'd go to Mars or even the Space Station not caring if I ever came back or if my life were to end as a result. Just leaving this planet and being able to experience something _this_ profound would be worth it.

[@bishopvida]

Why isn't the moon part of this discussion??? Why have we not gone back, built, seeded humanity elsewhere, you know?? It's frustrating to me that nobody is more interested in the moon. Who else got us HERE, _to space_ , other than the moon? Who was first to catch our eye, pique our interest, literally show us that there was a *more* out there? She, the moon, is literally screaming launchpad at us but nope lets sit down here where things are heavier and just make it harder and more expensive for ourselves. I don't know. I'm made of spacedust and I just want to go *home.*

[@allefalconhalsaren2640]

@@bishopvida We haven't gone back simply because it's too expensive. According to Google, The United States spent $25.8 billion on Project Apollo between 1960 and 1973, or approximately $257 billion when adjusted for inflation to 2020 dollars. We have been there multiple times and we will go there again in 2024 or later. However, humans tend to expand their ability to accomplish something which lies in our biology. We have been too the moon and now it's time to take the next step. To go to a different planet, a different world. Mars. We have already seen most of the things there is to see on the moon but Mars however, is alot more interesting because we know there has been ancient water there, which can also imply ancient life.

[@biguprochester]

@@allefalconhalsaren2640they’ve been spending 5 billion per year since stupid and have accomplished nothing. Do that math.

[@k.c.r.5974]

Yeah and you still don't see the problem do you?

[@peachylady]

I cried. I love space so much.. it is my dream to go to space before I die.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Save your money and get ready!

[@gangess]

It's all make believe. We can't go to space. Fact!

[@markpointer2967]

Amari Jim “Fact”? Then you must have concrete proof. Can I see it?

[@italianchair6818]

God, me too

[@GH-oi2jf]

Natalie - But the message of Apollo 8 is that we are all travelers on Spaceship Earth.

[@theflorri]

don't go to Mars unless we can do it as humans not as nations. Thats the wisest thing I've heard in my life

[@theflorri]

What perspective do you mean? From what perspective does it not sound wise?

[@wek33]

could not agree more. we go as earthlings, nothing more nothing less.

[@spearhead787]

I think the journey out there will require collaborative efforts between nations. If done this way,it would help to bring humanity together in a feeling of collective pride. But i do think bill anders is right lets do it as human beings together in peace.

[@robertmatheus8004]

I always thought about how pointless it is to label people as Americans, Russians, Africans, Jews, Muslims... when we're all human beings

[@erikkalkoken3494]

I disagree. In my opinion that statement contradicts the main message from this video: Leaving earth will bring us closer together by shifting our perceptive. So going to Mars will most likely help us in that regard.

[@vinylbuff1515]

When im feeling down, I watch this. We are so small, we shouldn’t let things hurt us and we should’t fight. We are all one human race on this planet

[@BeanOnTheFlipside]

we are made to fight by nature so.

[@nickpaine2767]

@@BeanOnTheFlipside we are also made to make intelligent decisions

[@sneakerbabeful]

We hurt because we're human, and we feel things. And maybe we can teach each other to not fight, just because we feel hurt.

[@andrewyang1446]

The most impressive and heartwarming stuff from NYT in recent memory!

[@AshwinCSCheekati]

There is another great docu on this from a few years ago, which is about it's name sake "The overview effect" "The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from orbit or from the lunar surface" kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXmwepmFmsilotE

[@andrewyang1446]

Ashwin CS Cheekati Thank you. Will definitely check it out!

[@jonhtte]

Just a beautiful film. A beautiful story. A beautiful marble.

[@ivanhorvat4817]

4:08 IS THIS WHAT HALF OF THE WORLD LOOKS LIKE??? WHERE IS ALL THE LAND?? ON THE OTHER SIDE???

[@emimurase813]

And we need to protect it :(

[@thecapacitor1395]

Watching First Man has made me go on an Apollo binge again...

[@krymsynrayne]

1:07 is the proper response to the question they were asked.

[@jsmith1746]

I had a physics professor in college who was an astronaut. He was working in Mission Control during the Apollo 8 mission and he talked about the mood in Mission Control when the first earth rise was broadcast back to earth. He said it was an extremely powerful and humbling experience. Just hearing him talk about it was amazing enough, I cannot imagine what it was like for the three guys on Apollo 8.

[@internet_introvert]

Can you imagine that there are people that think this never happened? It gives me hope for humanity and denying it just tells me that you're an eternal pessimist, nothing more.

[@catfishhotdogtape9303]

It’s strange how people talk about the moon landing a lot more than Apollo 8. This is just as important and waaaaay more beautiful

[@dajilus2410]

more people need to see this. Imagining the first time these astronauts left our orbit is incredible. It must have been like breaking through some barrier we were never meant to breach. Like we're seeing something not meant for human eyes. Simply beautiful.

[@avonloma5819]

Beautiful comment. Thank you.

[@ndirangugichuki6260]

Soundtrack at the end sounds like a soundtrack from the movie Interstellar.

[@mrpicky1868]

and its a good thing. it got me even more emotional

[@shankarseal]

But the credit was not given to Hans Zimmer

[@phillipeleighton7221]

whole soundtrack's heavily inspired by Hans Zimmer, for sure

[@ndirangugichuki6260]

@@phillipeleighton7221 yeah, same thing I was thinking.

[@ndirangugichuki6260]

@@mrpicky1868 me too

[@FantastickDark2]

Thank you for this content. Greetings from Earth

[@BeanOnTheFlipside]

greetings from mars

[@chaimgoldstein4585]

greetings

[@lithostheory]

19:24 ... better hope we land in the blue part :)

[@shnatko]

you have a 75% chance

[@bowlinglegend95]

i literally read this as it was being said woah

[@giodc8599]

This is absolutely stunning! These 3 men had one of the most incredible privilege of their life and i am so happy they got to share it with us.

[@yilmanbabilonia]

It undercut his faith. This little thing can't be the center for the universe. Brilliant

[@uwunora]

That was so interesting

[@kenadams5504]

Why would it matter if we were at the centre ?. Why would it be logical to assume a God put us there ?. If we can't know where the centre is /if there is a centre , what would be the point of a God putting us there when we cant even know if such a thing exists. If anything , this video accentuates nature and its relevance to us. We are products of a nature that can create a planet that life can exist on . We should not take that for granted.we should not take nature for granted by ignoring it in favour of a man-made notion that is anathma to it.

[@steventarsitano3209]

really some beautiful stuff. i LOVE the perspective we are getting from the astronauts. it really does make you think, and make you consider what our universe is like. it's a sobering feeling, but it's beautiful.

[@Native722]

We can't be the only ones in this universe.

[@SupernaturalBeingsofEarth]

We are not alone on earth so you are probably correct. Tinman Bigfoot Tracker Channel Canada BC British Columbia.

[@spearhead787]

We almost certainly aren't, the universe is so mind numbingly vast, that somewhere in some far off galaxy there'll be another planet with life on it. It would be incredible if life hasn't happened more than once. !

[@opfipip3711]

But we are. There is no evidence that somewhere else in the university are the conditions needed for life as we know it. And even if there would be a place like that it is so far away that we can never reach it.

[@AverageAlien]

We can. We don't know yet. We may be special, which is sad, but that doesn't mean it's not true. Maybe you're right though, maybe we're the most advanced life, maybe we're not as advanced, nobody knows.

[@opfipip3711]

No we can not. The law of physics proof it.

[@Kubatweedie]

Wow... absolutely amazing

[@-_Nuke_-]

If NASA had just planned a mission, to go to the Moon without landing or making any scientific research and just film the entire ride and then come back with hours upon hours of footage - that would still be enough to change the world... Nasa really did changed the world that decade and we should all be thankful for the Americans and the other Nations that took place in those missions for doing something so beautiful, as to take these pictures of the Earth of the Moon of Space itself, so that we can understand our position in this universe that we are all stuck into and have no clue how we ever got here in the 1st place... This video was so beautiful words cannot describe, because our ancestors living up the trees and into caves could never had the chance of creating words good enough to describe all this beauty. Isn't peace a beautiful thing?

[@blakeeeeyo]

Incredible great story for humankind

[@egg250]

The video made me cry

[@SkucciMusic]

ChrisRants33 interstellar copy

[@spearhead787]

It is emotional when you think of what these three men saw for very first time and how it changed their outlook on things. But also uplifting too. Nothing wrong with letting tears out over it.

[@new_filler]

nvm i cried too

[@ichtrojan]

I cried too

[@ludaheracles7201]

You big softy

[@mckenzie05762]

This production is a gem!

[@leofloppa]

Thankts NYT for this beautiful documentary

[@yippee2000]

I would never have thought that astronauts could be this introspective, spiritual, 'feeling', sensitive... the way they described what they saw/felt, and then seeing those images, well.... how could one not view one's day-to-day existence very differently, after seeing this video? This film sure puts things into perspective, eh? I'd love for our government and officials to be forced to watch this...and all those who say global warming is not real...that saving endangered species does not matter... etc. ...and I wish every American citizen would watch this and understand that we are ALL Americans, no matter what side of any political/social debate we may be on. This film is just so poignant and beautiful. What also strikes me about this men is...how self-effacing they are.....how humble....

[@SpydersByte]

it's kind of funny to stress that "we're all Americans" when thinking about global culture and a global mindset. Shouldn't we all be Earthians?

[@sumbalsheikh9010]

@@SpydersByte yes I agree but we could just be called people or mankind

[@kenadams5504]

Earth's majesty brought them humility. To think of how our generation is polluting its atmosphere.we may well be causing damage that will make this place uninhabitable within a few centuries. What are we doing ? . Is this really happening ?. The science suggests there wont be a climate we can exist in. Why do we assume to know better ? .

[@user-qk3yh1xd6y]

here in 2021. Incredible, just incredible.

[@chris-hayes]

This is so good! I can't believe I only just found this great doc.

[@krossvales7584]

Great Hollywood movie

[@vision_333]

absolutely beautiful. This was well done. Thank you and keep reporting news, past and current, especially in these dark times

[@hengedude]

Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee ... you hit this film out of park. Gorgeous. Congratulations.

[@fallen_cookie]

thank you SO MUCH for your service!!

[@bbbfff6189]

I am overwhelmed by the humble wisdom and deep insight of this amazing gentlemen!

[@lithostheory]

15:50 that picture made it all worth it :)

[@truthfilterforyoutube8218]

CGI....not a picture

[@spearhead787]

Imagine seeing it for the very first time.!! If everyone on earth could see in person what these men have seen,it would change the world for the better and for ever.

[@em-gt7ps]

Thank you for this awe-inspiring video! It sent chills down my spine and reminds me that we should not take this beautiful blue planet for granted.

[@warrenmusselman9173]

Stunning... and brought tears to my eyes.... but then I'm of a certain generation who heard the call.

[@michaelmclaughlin4488]

"you better hope we land in the blue part" haha gotta love those guys 19:04

[@diywithb3641]

Stunning....

[@hallquiche]

This is one of the best documentaries i have ever seen.

[@maryellenw]

Excellent! Hopefully you will be motivated/interested in some of the other titles and subject matter of the other films in the The New York Times' Op-Docs documentary film collection! Tell your family, friends, and any interested community members, as well!

[@kindnessfirst9670]

The most famous upside down photo in history. The folks in charge of magazines, etc. felt the public would be confused since it had the northern hemisphere on the bottom so they turned it around to match more closely what people expected it to look like. The widespread custom of usually putting north at the top of maps over the last few centuries has led many to believe that the Earth has a top and a bottom. It doesn't.

[@jmostov]

Watching this on the 50th anniversary of the photo being taken. We are all astronauts indeed . Thank you for this beautiful film.

[@johnheuer6540]

Watching this and realizing that we're on a immensly huge sphere, floating in a dark room is a powerful feeling. It's truly mysterious. I hope that commercial space-flight will become a thing some time soon haha.

[@adnandaghastanli3621]

I'm watching this just thinking "wow, the Earth is the best place in the world" haha.

[@Erick-zj1ld]

Lets get our act together first, here on earth, and then go to Mars, as humans. Wisdom at its best!

[@kevin_k_de]

Just a beautiful documentary. I got goosebumbs just by seein these images.

[@LeNomEstYves]

This was amazing. Instant favorite.

[@JOTennisVid]

OMG I did not expect and wasn't prepared for this to end up making me cry. The part where they're just arriving back home.

[@luism5514]

Amazing documentary

[@bcsimon15]

Thank you, Op Docs! Wonderful, moving.

[@nukemanmd]

I remember Apollo 8 vividly. I was 17 years old, a senior in high school, in the process of applying to colleges, dating the girl who would eventually become my wife. tI was exciting to think that we were sending three men on a circumlunar mission. While we were looking forward to landing men on the Moon, there was still quite a bit of uncertainty about when it would happen. It was an important milestone and gave us confidence that a lunar landing was possible. Apollo 10 got us even closer when it demonstrated the efficacy of the LEM - which separated from the command module, and descended to an altitude of about 8 or 9 miles about the lunar surface

[@sergiotejadamoscoso8069]

This was just perfect.

[@daver629111]

I find this moment so important I painted it from memory of seeing our home and for a while we knew this as a truth as one.

[@tommybrandes4671]

This video is amazing, so well done. The message is beautiful and so are the actual pictures.

[@panchowheeler4122]

Wow,,,imagine getting the opportunity to embark on such a journey,,,amazing,,,really good film

[@ClosestToTheSun]

Here's a crazy thought I'd never had: this could he considered one of the first photographs of both of my parents together. They were both children and had never met, but they're both definitely within the frame of that photograph.

[@arnavpiscesxtream]

this was a beautiful video

[@jiyeonlee2087]

This film is just beautiful.

[@michaelhope8899]

Absolutely gorgeous

[@glorytoarstotzka1009]

Beautiful

[@lumberBT]

The fact that this story is real makes me so happy! And it definitely portrays the essence of the human spirit!

[@callummack7098]

this is the greatest, most awe inspiring video I have ever watched. Over the tens of thousands of videos I have witnessed this is the one that has most in-depth amazing look into our great planet's achievements and It is a shame that it has so little views.

[@mrchrisroden]

Absolutely fantastic.

[@GH-oi2jf]

This is my favorite Apollo program video.

[@jeffhowell5629]

Beautiful and impactful

[@cardayz1391]

27:12 to 27:35. Could not be said any better than that, a piece of absolute wisdom

[@brunografia]

Oh, wow! This sublime piece does the job of the missing poet that Borman mentions right at its beginning. Thank you so much for this.

[@markpointer2967]

What a stunning documentary......

[@ArvelJoffi]

Thank you for this. It was so beautiful.

[@Maria-wb9eh]

Thank you Dan Rather for sharing the link to this amazing documentary in your Steady newsletter. Very timely! Have wonderful holiday season.

[@NikSpringer]

19:24 this is such a hilarious exchange. The astronauts are viewing earth from hundreds of thousands of miles away and still manage to crack jokes like no other haha

[@MrBoggins1234]

These guys defintely had their "3rd eye's" fully opened, fabulous.

[@DanMess]

Not sure how this doesn’t have more views. What a great doc 🌍 🌙

[@pedrofranc9342]

Unbeliveably well edited,simply great work.A shame it only has 100k views... :( But as learned from the video,we only value our own stuff after we lose it...

[@silentblackhole]

Amazing. Thank you.

[@Mariopreciado]

Bravo!

[@jcfranco231]

The views for this video are criminally low. Utterly awe inspiring doc.

[@jenry2010]

I love this documentary.. This should shown in all schools of the world.

[@OracleFilms3]

I think our kids are brainwashed enough, don't worry.

[@bigdingusjack]

Fantastic video. Watched the whole thing and was shocked to see it didn’t have millions of views.

[@kauanbatista492]

I'm so glad I watched this video.

[@bitflux2]

Amazing content guys thumbs up and subbed

[@flyingface]

incredible sound design

[@emthi211]

Ahh I needed this after a long and exhausting day.

[@spearhead787]

Thank you to the up loader for putting this wonderful documentary on youtube.

[@error.418]

that would be the New York Times

[@spearhead787]

@@error.418 Indeed. And i thank them.

[@benfinley3643]

beautiful film. this should have more views than it does.

[@kerems6039]

Inspiring.

[@yummyjackalmeat]

the music is beautiful

[@bigsby6bender]

Incredible!

[@x-wingflyboy8177]

Tears in my eyes, god that was amazing to watch. 50 years ago we dud indeed make a giant leap!

[@SteelyEyedMissileDan]

That expeditionary mindset is not gone. In the next few months, SpaceX will be completing launches testing different facets of their human-rated spacecraft. Whether it shuttles astronauts and kit to and from the ISS or takes us to Mars, it will put America back on the map in terms of human space travel. I’m proud of NASA and SpaceX, and I hope that we as humans can eventually ditch the borders that divide us and collectively strive to rise to the stars.

[@BeanOnTheFlipside]

@@SteelyEyedMissileDan here we are

[@chairmanofrussia]

I’m trying to feel how it feels to be truly immersed in that experience. I don’t think videos would do it justice. And at 4:10 (watch it from 3:57) think I just felt what he was talking about-I can barely describe it, but it got me teary eyed. It’s unbelievable. Such a sight should fill one with an instant love for our planet, and realize just how under appreciated it truly is. It’s the kind of feeling where if one wanted to talk about race, nationalities or politics I’d just laugh. Let me try to explain the feeling I think the astronaut is trying express of seeing earth from deep space. Have you ever had a dream that made you think all day afterwards, a dream that you wanted to go back to because it was so beautiful? Multiply that feeling by 10 and imagine it being due to a *live experience*, and then add on the feeling that you’re outside of everything, in an endless black nothingness looking down at the blue marble, in all its splendor. Something so great that surely only God could create it. Almost as if you’re looking down at heaven itself! (And I’m an atheist, I don’t throw around these words lightly). Literally can only think of angels, gods, gold, paradise. And then you’d realize just what an incredible thing had been achieved, being so proud of humanity and its intelligence. If you’ve ever experienced a breath taking sight you never thought you’d see-like a tall foggy mountain range or a wonder of science: this is like that, but on the ultimate scale, and hard to believe that it’s actually a real experience. For the conservative-minded, the experience can be both full of awe, and terrifying, as if they were in another realm or dimension and wanted to get back on the ground. For me if I stayed in deep space long enough, I would forget that societies, traffic, anger, sadness, money, business, nature, wildlife, oceans all even existed. Amazing video. That clip alone needs to be done in VR. If the experience could be sold for even just 1 minute, it would be worth at least $20. Five minutes being worth $100. Those astronauts are truly lucky!! That’s how I think their experience is like anyways.

[@error.418]

Yeah, I thought I could look at pictures and imagine how it feels to a high enough fidelity. I thought the same with total solar eclipses, and when I go to see that in person last year... I realized how wrong I was. Being there is totally different and I wish more of us had the opportunity to see Earth from the Moon or farther.

[@AndersondeGazon]

Awesome.

[@Cespinozas]

5:05 homie was enlightened without psychedelics !

[@SkucciMusic]

You don’t need psychedelics to do that

[@Cespinozas]

Pierre The Hypebeast okay... so you live everyday , every moment , every second of your life in a balance , and recognize it as the most profound and deep experience you will ever have ....... I doubt the Dalai llama lives that way . I meant the feeling he felt at that time , is liberating being in space . Every human ever has live on this small dot . Ever except for astronauts .

[@caoimhe67]

Amazing documentary and the music is so good to

[@BenHanratty]

Amazing

[@johnmarkdias96]

Fantastic

[@derekf5495]

Beautiful short

[@ARISTO_Music]

thats amazing.

[@xrpgz-_-9552]

amazing...

[@freem4nn129]

captivating

[@chaimgoldstein4585]

The Earth is a beautiful thing in my opinion. Though it inhibits death, evil, and destruction, it also inhibits love, happiness, and progress. Those latter three reasons, along with the specialness of life, and the potential we have to do good- makes life meaningful.