Weather Blog: 3rd Rock From The Sun, 1st Rock From The Moon
Today NASA released this new image of Earth, as it was rising above the horizon on the moon. The image was created by stitching together a series of images taken on October 12, 2015 from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). At that time the orbiter was about 83 miles above the lunar surface, and traveling about 3,580 miles per hour relative to the moon.
The image replicates the famous 'Blue Marble' image (below left) taken in 1972 by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, and features the African continent prominently. Today's image is also reminiscent of the iconic 'Earthrise' shot captured by the astronauts of Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve 1968.
For more about how these images were captured, and the history of 'Earthrise' shots, click here.