The very 1st Earth “Selfie,” appropriately known as, “The Blue Marble.” Arguably, the most recognizable picture, in history. It is the first complete photo of the entire Earth, taken by Apollo 17 crew, on December 7, 1972.
Scientists and their unending quest for knowledge, yield magnificent byproducts, for those of us who are less educated.
Such as this beauty, with feathery clouds over North America. (2002)
And this 2007 image, of ice an snow, covering Greenland.
The clouds look cobwebby, in this 2012 photo, of Central America and the Gulf of Mexico.
Here is the Black Marble
So, if with all these great photos of our planet, why are we so excited about this new picture?
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Most images are composites, of numerous snapshots taken by satellites, that are stitched together. That’s why Apollo 17’s picture is so breathtaking.
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The Earth is HUGE
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Most satellites are too close to the Earth, to capture it in a single photograph
ENTER DSCOVR!
DSCOVR – a project shared between NASA, NOAA and the US Air Force
Launched in February 2015, DSCOVR is now 1 million miles away and Earth is ready for her close-up!
DISCOVR’s located the perfect place for the photo shoot (Lagrange point L1)*
The Sun is at her back, illuminating the Earth perfectly
Ridiculously long Selfie Stick is deployed
And here she is. Earth: So beautiful and precious. Not inherited from our ancestors but borrowed from our children (Native American Proverb)
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Exciting news: Astronaut Scott Kelly, who is aboard the International Space Station, shared that later this year, NASA is making all DSCOVR’s pictures and data available to the public via http://1.usa.gov/1fYuCi5
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DSCOVR’s camera is epic – literally! EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera)
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NASA promises more blue marble pics are coming!
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So bookmark the site http://1.usa.gov/1fYuCi5 for more Earth Selfies
* An understandable explanation of Lagrange Points. I love Simple English Wikipedia!
