It changed the way people saw the Earth. Neil Armstrong said: “It suddenly struck me that that tiny, cute, blue pea was the Earth. I raised my thumb and closed one eye, and my thumb obliterated planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." And while only the astronauts could truly observe the Earth as it appeared 230,000 miles away, the Apollo 11 television broadcast gave people their own view so that “everyone following the mission could share, to some extent, that unprecedented leap in perspective”. (Chaikin 54) This “unprecedented leap in perspective” gave people on Earth a sense of community that overcame social issues and cultural prejudices as people recognized how alone humans are in the vast expanse of the universe. The Apollo 11 moon landing was an event that transcended all social, racial, and geopolitical issues. The Apollo 11 telecast allowed viewers around the world to travel with the astronauts in real time, giving the world a sense of community as 600 million Earthlings watched together as one of Apollo's greatest ever goals was achieved. 'humanity. This feeling of global unity is well summed up by the poet Archibald MacLeish in his reflection “Riders on Earth Together, Brothers in Eternal Cold” which was published on the front page of the New York Times on Christmas Day.