Courtesy: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
Perhaps most important image ever taken [created]?
Download the mind-blowing full-rez image here:
visibleearth.nasa.gov/
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.
nor certitude, forestsoul, LitterART, Trent Bigelow, and 249 other people added this photo to their favorites.
![[ bird shadow ]](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2078/2214013084_3457945dce_s.jpg)
View 20 more comments
Majkman 25 months ago | reply
thanks for the use of this as a refference
here is my result
www.pxleyes.com/photoshop-picture/4dcca817e694d/Building-...
zaheerkhan224 25 months ago | reply
awesome shot from NASA. truly nice pic of the earth.
diflucan yeast infection
kläder online 23 months ago | reply
I love this picture and i will use the pic on new my kläder på nätet blog. thx for sharing woodleywonderworks !
Chris Jeffries 3 weeks ago | reply
Hi, I recently used this image in a presentation at university. As per your copyright request, credit details were included.
I really appreciate that you made a great image like this available under Creative Commons!