Space & Astronomy
NASA releases new 'blue marble' Earth image
By
T.K. RandallJuly 21, 2015 ·
12 comments
The 'blue marble' image is the first of its kind in 43 years. Image Credit: NASA
The breathtaking image was captured one million miles away by the Deep Space Climate Observatory.
The picture is the first to capture the complete sunlit side of our planet since the Apollo 17 astronauts captured similar shots all the way back in 1972.
It was taken by NASA's new Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) which consists of a high-resolution imager that can take pictures through a telescope.
Situated 1.6 million kilometers away, the probe will in future be used to monitor the climate and to help government authorities such as the Air Force and the NOAA forecast the weather in space.
The new image, which was presented to the White House today, prompted President Obama to post a Tweet saying "A beautiful reminder that we need to protect the only planet we have."
Source:
The Globe and Mail |
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