NASA image release February 2, 2012
NASA scientists created the two new 'Blue Marble' images from data acquired by a new instrument that's aboard the Earth-observing satellite Suomi NPP, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).
The Suomi NPP satellite is in a polar orbit around Earth at an altitude of 512 miles (about 824 kilometers), but the perspective of the new Eastern hemisphere 'Blue Marble' is from 7,918 miles (about 12,743 kilometers). NASA scientist Norman Kuring managed to 'step back' from Earth to get the big picture by combining data from six different orbits of the Suomi NPP satellite. Or putting it a different way, the satellite flew above this area of Earth six times over an eight hour time period. Norman took those six sets of data and combined them into one image.
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Using a basketball you can get a good idea of how far away the Suomi NPP satellite is from Earth. Take a basketball that has a diameter of 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) and say that's 'Earth.' (For the record, Earth has a diameter of about 7,926 miles (about 12,756 kilometers)).
So to get the same view of Earth as the VIIRS instrument aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, hold the basketball five-eighth of an inch (about one-and-a-half centimeters) away from your face.
The actual swath width of the Earth's surface covered by each pass of VIIRS as the satellite orbits the Earth is about 1,865 miles (about 3,001 kilometers). On the basketball that's about two and one-third inches (about six centimeters).
For reference:
Over its lifetime the International Space Station's altitude has been between 205 miles (about 330 kilometers) and 255 miles (410 kilometers) above the Earth's surface. That brings your 'basketball Earth' closer to your face at about five-sixteenth of an inch (about point-eight centimeters) away.
The original 'Blue Marble' image is a photograph taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts as they traveled toward the moon. It was taken at a distance of about 28,000 miles (45,062 kilometers). That puts your 'basketball Earth' at over 30 inches (76 centimeters) away from your face, or roughly an arm's length away.
The moon is about 238,857 miles (384,403 kilometers) away from the Earth's surface. That puts your 'Earth basketball' about 25 feet (about 7.6 meters) away, which is roughly the distance a three-point line on a basketball court is from the basket.
Credit: NASA/NOAA
For more information about Suomi NPP go to: www.nasa.gov/npp
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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rstaff3, fudgepuddle, Casey Cripe, and 54 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 6 more comments
DiamantThomy 17 months ago | reply
Nice
Harryf01 17 months ago | reply
Stitching 8 photos together to create one ( add your own superlative ) panorama of our world!
It's the best!
fred:vr 17 months ago | reply
I'd like to go and take that shot!
Gemma~A Passionate Photographer 17 months ago | reply
Thank you for sharing the interesting technique.
barbara.elaw - trying to keep up! 17 months ago | reply
fascinating
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Seen on blog.flickr.net ( ?² )
Dawn Woodhouse 17 months ago | reply
Its great that such an iconic place as NASA takes the time to share so much online
joanna08uk 17 months ago | reply
one gret photo good for you nasa
Jared Peters 17 months ago | reply
Very interesting. The photos of this magnificent planet are beautiful.
Jav-on 17 months ago | reply
Ah interesting process. Thanks for sharing.
jdoakey 17 months ago | reply
What a brilliant way to describe it. Just got to love science. Thank you.
ronporium 17 months ago | reply
Marbleous!
DjPaulPrince 17 months ago | reply
nice!
svande8952 17 months ago | reply
Thanks, this is one of the best things I have ever seen.
Engineer J 17 months ago | reply
Out of this world, of this world!!
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Seen on blog.flickr.net ( ?² )
OldTom2009 17 months ago | reply
Yes, fascinating.
ZazaPics 17 months ago | reply
Waouhhh
aesthete2012 16 months ago | reply
fascinating !
Catherine442 [deleted] 16 months ago | reply
Nice!