Blue Marble - 2002
This spectacular “blue marble” image is the most detailed true-color image of the entire Earth to date. Using a collection of satellite-based observations, scientists and visualizers stitched together months of observations of the land surface, oceans, sea ice, and clouds into a seamless, true-color mosaic of every square kilometer (.386 square mile) of our planet. These images are freely available to educators, scientists, museums, and the public. This record includes preview images and links to full resolution versions up to 21,600 pixels across.
Much of the information contained in this image came from a single remote-sensing device-NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS. Flying over 700 km above the Earth onboard the Terra satellite, MODIS provides an integrated tool for observing a variety of terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric features of the Earth. The land and coastal ocean portions of these images are based on surface observations collected from June through September 2001 and combined, or composited, every eight days to compensate for clouds that might block the sensor’s view of the surface on any single day. Two different types of ocean data were used in these images: shallow water true color data, and global ocean color (or chlorophyll) data. Topographic shading is based on the GTOPO 30 elevation dataset compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey’s EROS Data Center. MODIS observations of polar sea ice were combined with observations of Antarctica made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s AVHRR sensor—the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. The cloud image is a composite of two days of imagery collected in visible light wavelengths and a third day of thermal infra-red imagery over the poles. Global city lights, derived from 9 months of observations from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, are superimposed on a darkened land surface map.
For more information related to NASA's Blue Marble go to:
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/BlueMarble/BlueMarble_...
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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To view an animation of this image go here:www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4401845574/
For another view go here:www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4386822005/
Credit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Image by Reto Stöckli (land surface, shallow water, clouds). Enhancements by Robert Simmon (ocean color, compositing, 3D globes, animation). Data and technical support: MODIS Land Group; MODIS Science Data Support Team; MODIS Atmosphere Group; MODIS Ocean Group Additional data: USGS EROS Data Center (topography); USGS Terrestrial Remote Sensing Flagstaff Field Center (Antarctica); Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (city lights).
Comments and faves
philgribbon, Erick Batista, nothingelseis, tietoukka, and 1355 other people added this photo to their favorites.
tiltedplane (39 months ago | reply)
Wow! I live there!
gulguim (39 months ago | reply)
Not Another view???... Brazil !?
michaelb1 (39 months ago | reply)
Amazing
gabriel.jorby (39 months ago | reply)
been released years ago... did i miss something ?
SaylaMarz (39 months ago | reply)
Beautiful. It's fun how you can actually see the different climate on the Arabian Peninsula and Saharan Africa.
leahsak (39 months ago | reply)
WOW
ericneitzel (39 months ago | reply)
Very cool.
neiloneiloneil (39 months ago | reply)
If I'd known this was going to be taken I would have held up a banner or something
sany1.t21 (39 months ago | reply)
very great
Cooney-Hughes (39 months ago | reply)
I can see my house!
Beautiful :)
abcdz2000 (39 months ago | reply)
beautiful planet we are in
loopo boy [deleted] (39 months ago | reply)
That's great. It's cool how the Caspian Sea has two light blue areas in it.
Andrew :-) (39 months ago | reply)
Nothing short of amazing!
lidddia (39 months ago | reply)
This picture brings people together.
imranbecks (39 months ago | reply)
Wow... I think its much more amazing to be up there and seeing it for real..... Its just so beautiful isn't it... And yet, there is the problem of global warming.... Its us that is slowly destroying this beautiful planet of ours.....
marioanders (39 months ago | reply)
I want to be there... aahm I am already there ;-).
muddyfox2010 (39 months ago | reply)
すごい！きれい！ここに住んでるのだな！
t2psalm (39 months ago | reply)
Marvelous work! I'm sure this took a lot of effort to do and i'd like to thank you guys for sharing it for the whole world to see and appreciate.
Mark Rail (39 months ago | reply)
Donders....
AnNamirâ„¢ c[_] (39 months ago | reply)
The WORLD is just awesome!!
Asbestorama (39 months ago | reply)
Look again at that blue marble. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar", every "supreme leader", every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a marble. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this tiny orb on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Edited from Carl Sagan's wonderful book, Pale Blue Dot.
Armaan Reza (39 months ago | reply)
I am delighted to know these technical aspects from your nice article and can feel the power of technologies we are into at this twenty first century. This powerful image would be a milestone for our future generation. Thank you very much for sharing this masterpiece.
Vipin C Nambiar (39 months ago | reply)
Brilliant photo...Thanks for informations...
David_Rojo (39 months ago | reply)
Para todo aquel que quiera una imagen del planeta pero centrado en cualquier otro país que no sea norteamérica, por favor póngase en contacto conmigo, puedo ofrecer un render igual de espectacular que este que ven aquí :) -- Estoy usando los mapas de la NASA para ello.
If you are interested in a render focused in any other country, please ask me for it, I can offer it to you :) -- I`m using NASA maps for it.
Kalense Kid (39 months ago | reply)
A rendering focused on Europe would be cool, Terri.
syncronaut (39 months ago | reply)
Amazing - mother earth's home!!!
crescentsi (39 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called New Renaissance, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Amazing! :-)
Simon
Andy Wilkes (39 months ago | reply)
Continue with the operation; you may fire when ready.
bioentity (39 months ago | reply)
edited and air brushed curtesy of nasa, the unreal real, and the deltetion of many many unknown objects.
missinformants beware
photopotam (39 months ago | reply)
Our planet is so large ans so small!! It's the first time I saw this picture! Thank You very much for the opportunity to see it in large size!
volker!!! (39 months ago | reply)
Superb !!!
Alireza Teimoury [deleted] (39 months ago | reply)
is it old? there is still some water in Aral sea
hüseyin atilla (39 months ago | reply)
we are living in a perfect planet. we have to keep it
Twilight Fairy (39 months ago | reply)
love it! esp since I can see my country right there!
pugnax (39 months ago | reply)
Tagged as "iphone". Funny.
florwood (39 months ago | reply)
Nice! Here are two the prime images, focused on India and North America. How do we get to images of other parts of the planet, other than buying from the work Terricola has done?
jdandsad@gmail.com (39 months ago | reply)
We have something this beautiful to live on, so why do we try and mess with it!!!
yeuk0 (39 months ago | reply)
Awesome...
Wally Baba (39 months ago | reply)
As my friend Bill would say : Fantastique
CarlAndersson (39 months ago | reply)
Wow! Fantastic work!
Alessandro Cabriolu (39 months ago | reply)
Viviamo in un pianeta meraviglioso,una vera e propria opera d'arte..
`miRЯim ☮ (39 months ago | reply)
WHAT CAMERA??
The big aero one?
Jean-Paul Boudreau Photographie (39 months ago | reply)
It is a mystery to me that so many power thursty human beings make their daily decisions to satisfy their extremely short existence, without pondering the futur of their family and peers, let alone mankind.
Earth, or Gaia is a living entity which these power mongers refuse to recognize. Unfortunately for mankind, living entities rarely accept defeat without a struggle.
On a positive note, Earth is as beautiful from space as it is from my garden.
Wild Habitat [deleted] (39 months ago | reply)
Mother Earth my love...
ViseMoD (39 months ago | reply)
This is our HOME! :-)
october blue (39 months ago | reply)
wonderful image !
Arkadious (39 months ago | reply)
Let's stop the Vogons from destroying our Planet! :-)
Renegade98 (39 months ago | reply)
WOW, beautiful!
Wacktose (39 months ago | reply)
This is most awesome!
JavierGil. (39 months ago | reply)
Wow, Maravilloso!!!!!!