William Anders, a former astronaut, passed away in a plane crash on San Juan Island, Washington, at the age of 90. He is best known for capturing the iconic 'Earthrise' photograph during his time as an astronaut on Apollo 8 in 1968. The image, showing Earth as a blue marble from space, gained worldwide fame. His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, confirmed his father's death. The crash occurred around 11:40 a.m.
when an older plane went down and sank near the north end of Jones Island. The Federal Aviation Association reported that the Beech A-45 was being piloted by the only occupant at the time.
In addition to his technical duties on Apollo 8, William Anders considered his most significant contribution to be the environmental impact of the Earthrise photograph, which he captured to show the fragility of Earth from space. This image, the first color photo of Earth from space, is widely regarded as one of the most important photographs in modern history, credited with catalyzing a global environmental movement.