Former Apollo 8 astronaut, known for Earthrise photo, dies

Retired Maj Gen William Anders, 90, was killed when his plane plummeted off Washington state’s San Juan Islands

Retired Maj Gen William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic Earthrise photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90.

“The family is devastated,” said his son, Greg Anders, who confirmed the death to the Associated Press. “He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.”