NASA either just released new images of the Earth or they’ve been around a while and are just getting noticed. Either way, they’re mosaics stitched together from many smaller images. This is already spreading through the web, so I won’t comment too much. But they sure are pretty! Grab the super hi-res ones (2048×2048); I predict they’ll be very popular as desktops.
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Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
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August 1st, 2007 at 1:46 pm
It looks like a rediscovery of the 2002 version Blue Marble. There is a newer collection of whole Earth mosaics and links to the history of the Blue Marble images at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/BlueMarble/
This newer versions do not include clouds though.
August 1st, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Okay, I’m not that bright, but I don’t understand if they’re stitching together smaller images of the earth, why do they include ephemera like clouds? And my whining about this is in *no way* related to the fact my location is obscured by clouds in the image.
August 1st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Is it important to mention that this “thing” is, well, round?
August 1st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
DrFlimmer, it may be round, but we all know it certainly ISN’T a sphere! (Even if it is, it surely doesn’t rotate, and clearly does not orbit the Sun. After all we know we are the center of the universe…)
That ‘picture’, you’ll notice, was made by the same people who ‘landed’ on the moon, and ’sent’ probes to Mars and other ‘planets’ in the ’solar system’.
For reference, go here: http://www.fixedearth.com/
But be sure to take your irony pills, and strap on tightly, your mind is going to have (as the shrunken head in the Night Bus in HP&PoA said) “A buuuumpy Ride!”
August 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
the “Pale Blue Dot” never ceases to amaze
thanks to Carl
August 1st, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Pretty! I plan to visit there one day.
August 1st, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Hey, I can se my house from here!
At least, I would if NZ were visible.
August 1st, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I found that image highly American-centric
Why no images looking at Europe and the UK?
tut tut
August 1st, 2007 at 4:09 pm
And also if I could type ’see’ on this silly keyboard.
August 1st, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I don’t think that image is new … I’d have to go home and check them against each other, but I think I’ve had that in my rotating desktop for some years now.
August 1st, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Well I know this image will be popular on MY desktop!
August 1st, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Is there an image that shows Asia (esp. Southeast Asia) instead? :p
August 1st, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Yeah, it’s an oldie but goodie.
Advertisement: if you want a spectacular print ….
http://www.spaceimages.com/earth.html
August 1st, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Beautiful image that keeps everything in perspective (relatively speaking from a earth-centric pov).
Thanks for posting, Phil!
August 1st, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Great images but they would work better as computer desktops if the Earth was more oblate or even rectangular!
August 1st, 2007 at 9:55 pm
So where are the turtles?! Another NASA Photoshop job!
August 1st, 2007 at 10:05 pm
I actually used it years ago for a project when it first came out. I was glad I found it since I didn’t want to use the cliched Apollo 17 picture (granted, it’s also cool, but you see it everywhere).
Crud, now I gotta find a *new* picture!
August 1st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
At the link that Phil provides there are eastern and western hemisphere pictures. The eastern hemisphere one is centered on India so you can just make out the UK at the edge.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 am
Go to the site and click on the “east” links for non-”US-centric”..:
http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/2429/globe_east_2048.jpg
http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/2429/globe_east_540.jpg
Just stunning. How some people can still claim that the earth is flat is beyond comprehension.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 am
>>> How some people can still claim that the
>>> earth is flat is beyond comprehension.
Is anyone actually doing that? I always thought the Flat Earth Society was a bit of a lark?
The spherical nature of the Earth was generally known by about 300 AD. The idea that most people thought the Earth was flat when Columbus set out is utter myth. I heard it just this week in one of those annoying, pretentious Lexus radio ads.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth_mythology
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:21 am
@Mighty Favog
Obviously you the picture is made from centre top of the disc. So the turtle and the 4 elephants are underneath at can’t be seen.
Andre
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:23 am
Sorry for the typos!
@Mighty Favog
Obviously the picture is made from centre top of the disc. So the turtle and the 4 elephants are underneath and can’t be seen.
Andre
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I’ve had this as my MySpace background for quite awhile. I think it’s my favorite Earth picture ever.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:27 am
@Quiet Desperation
>Is anyone actually doing that? I always thought the Flat Earth Society was a bit of a lark?
Believe it or not, but there is still a – no doubt very small – minority of round earth deniers. (I’ve met one. He was very convinced and would no doubt have some weird explanation for this picture). Some people are obviously content going through their life with eyes closed, their fingers firmly stuck in their ears going “LALALALALALALALA”.
I see something like this picture and I go “Wow! I live there? That’s absolutely amazing!”.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:40 am
Why does the color look so different to the orginal blue marble, is it because its been stitched together and the color evened up?