Universe Today

Here are some pictures of Planet Eath. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

A Crescent Earth at Midnight

Here's an amazing picture of the earth in crescent. This breathtaking view of our planet was obtained by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-8) on June 22, 1996. GOES is primarily assigned in monitoring the weather particularly the development of storms and hurricanes in different parts of the earth.

Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A. September 1988

This photo of Oahu Island in Hawaii was taken in September 1988 from the International Space Station. Oahu ranks third among the islands of Hawaii and the most important being the headquarters of the United States Pacific Command and the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex.

Looking Down on Earth

This photo of the earth, particularly the Indian Ocean was captured in 1999 during the STS-96 mission of space shuttle Discovery. Discovery is one of the three operational orbiters of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Atlantis and Endeavor are the other two.

Earth - South America (first frame of Earth Spin Movie)

This amazing photo of the earth was captured by the space craft Galileo during its flight to Jupiter in December 11, 1990. Galileo was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Jupiter.

Earthrise - Apollo 8

This spectacular image of the earth as seen from the moon was taken by the astronauts onboard the Apollo 8 space craft in December 1968. Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight mission to successfully escape from the earth's gravitational field.

We have written many articles about planet earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about how fast the earth rotates, and here's an article about the most earth-like planet.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool pics of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Wind Streaks of Northern Chad, Chad October 1988

This image of northern Chad was taken in October 1988 from the International Space Station during the STS-26 mission of Discovery. STS-26 is the first mission after the disaster that happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger.

View From a Window

This image of the earth's horizon, Soyuz 13 spacecraft and the Progress 22 resupply vehicle was taken from the International Space Station during the STS-116 mission. The STS-116 mission was succesfully flown by the space shuttle Discovery.

The Blue Marble from Apollo 17

This is a spectacular full view of our planet earth. It was taken by the Apollo 17 during their journey to the moon in December 7, 1972. The south polar ice cap of Antarctica can be clearly seen in the image. This region constitutes 70% of the world's freshwater. This photo of the earth was the first to feature the south polar ice cap.

SuitSat-1 Floats Free

This is an image of the SuitSat-1 roaming freely on space taken from the International Space Station. This is the latest satellite of earth launched on Feb. 3, 2006.

A Crescent Earth at Midnight

Here's an amazing picture of the earth in crescent. This breathtaking view of our planet was obtained by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-8) on June 22, 1996. GOES is primarily assigned in monitoring the weather particularly the development of storms and hurricanes in different parts of the earth.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about a comet hitting earth, and here's an article about the closest star to earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some great earth satellite photos. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

The Great Wall of China and Inner Mongolia

This is an amazing photo of the Great Wall of China taken from the International Space Station. This image was captured by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao. The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object which can be seen from space.

The Brightness of the Sun

This spectacular photo of the earth was taken in November 22, 2009 from the International Space Station during the STS-129 mission of the Atlantis space shuttle.

The Americas and Hurricane Andrew

This image of the earth was taken in August 25, 1992 during the mighty devastation of Hurrican Andrew in the United States. It was captured by the NOAA GOES-7 satellite. G-O-E-S stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite.

Sunset

This breathtaking image of the sunset on earth was captured from the International Space Station by an Expedition 13 astronaut in August 10, 2006. Expedition 13 mission was able to accomplish a total of 2,886 orbits.

Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A. September 1988

This photo of Oahu Island in Hawaii was taken in September 1988 from the International Space Station. Oahu ranks third among the islands of Hawaii and the most important being the headquarters of the United States Pacific Command and the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the deepest point on earth, and here's an article about the origin of life on earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some amazing earth photos from space. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Looking Down on Earth

This photo of the earth, particularly the Indian Ocean was captured in 1999 during the STS-96 mission of space shuttle Discovery. Discovery is one of the three operational orbiters of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Atlantis and Endeavor are the other two.

Ivan the Terrible

This image of Hurricane Ivan was taken by Astronaut Edward M. Fincke from the International Space Station in September 2004. Hurricane Ivan is considered the 10th stongest Atlantic hurricane.

Earthrise - Apollo 8

This spectacular image of the earth as seen from the moon was taken by the astronauts onboard the Apollo 8 space craft in December 1968. Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight mission to successfully escape from the earth's gravitational field.

Bosporus Strait

Here's an image of the Bosporus Strait obtained from the International Space Station in April 16, 2004. Bosporus Strait is known to separate the Asian and European parts of Turkey.

Taking out the Trash

This photo shows the usual scene when a supply vehicle such as Progress 14 takes out wastes to the space. These wastes are usually called space junk. They will eventually be burned once they enter the earth's atmosphere. This image was captured from the International Space Station on July 30, 2004.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about life beyond earth, and here's an article about modeling the earth's magnetic field.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool earth photos. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Here's a satellite image of McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antartica taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on board the Terra satellite. ASTER is an imaging instrument that provides detailed maps of the earth's land surface.

Earthrise - Apollo 8

This very interesting image of the earth as seen from the moon was taken by the astronauts onboard the Apollo 8 space craft in December 1968. Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight mission to successfully escape from the earth's gravitational field.

STS-29 Onboard photo - External Tank Separation

This photo of the external tank after separation with the space shuttle Discovery was captured from the International Space Station during the STS-29 mission in 1989. The external tank or ET is an important component of a space shuttle flight since it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines.

Sunset

This breathtaking image of the sunset on earth was captured from the International Space Station by an Expedition 13 astronaut in August 10, 2006. Expedition 13 mission was able to accomplish a total of 2,886 orbits.

A Crescent Earth at Midnight

Here's an amazing picture of the earth in crescent. This breathtaking view of our planet was obtained by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-8) on June 22, 1996. GOES is primarily assigned in monitoring the weather particularly the development of storms and hurricanes in different parts of the earth.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about how far is space from earth, and here's an article about why earth has seasons.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some amazing pictures of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

View of the Journey Home

Here's a unique photo of the earth's atmosphere taken by the crew members of Atlantis' STS-125 mission during its preparation for landing on May 20, 2009.

The Algerian desert

Here's a nice image of the Algerian Desert. This was captured by Commander Leroy Chiao of Expedition 10 from the International Space Station in December 11, 2004.

Sunrise in Space

This photo of the earth's atmosphere during sunrise was taken in July 2005 by a Discovery crew member during the STS-114 mission. STS-114 mission was the first Return to Flight mission after the unfortunate loss of the Columbia space shuttle.

Ongoing Eruption of Mount Belinda

This is an amazing photo of the eruption of Mount Belinda volcano located at the Montagu Island. This was taken from the Terra satellite by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on December 7, 2003.

Earth - South America (first frame of Earth Spin Movie)

This amazing photo of the earth was captured by the space craft Galileo during its flight to Jupiter in December 11, 1990. Galileo was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Jupiter.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the earth's atmosphere coming from the outer space, and here's an article about how fast the earth rotates.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool planet pics. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

A Different View

This image was taken from the International Space Station by a crew member of the STS-129 mission in November 19, 2009. The image shows the amazing view of the earth's atmosphere behind the Atlantis space craft docked in the station.

A view of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from the International Space Station

Here's a satellite image of the Caribbean Island from the International Space Station taken by the Expedition 20 crew in September 28, 2009. The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault runs along the longer peninsula which can be seen in the image.

Earth in Full View

This is a spectacular full view of our planet earth. It was taken by the Apollo 17 during their journey to the moon in 1972. The south polar ice cap of Antarctica can be clearly seen in the image. This region constitutes 70% of the world's freshwater.

Hurricane Emily and the Moon

This beautiful view of the eye of Hurricane Emily and the moon was captured from the International Space Station in July 16, 2005. Hurricane Emily is a Category 5 hurricane having a maximum wind speed of 160 mph.

Mt. Everest from Space

This amazing photo of Mt. Everest was captured from the International Space Station. Mt. Everest is the highest mountain on Earth with a height of 8,848 meters above sea level.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about how long is an earth day, and here's an article about how long it takes the sunlight to reach the earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool photos of the earth at night. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

A Crescent Earth at Midnight

Here's an amazing picture of the earth in crescent. This breathtaking view of our planet was obtained by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-8) on June 22, 1996. GOES is primarily assigned in monitoring the weather particularly the development of storms and hurricanes in different parts of the earth.

Denver, Colorado, USA

This image of Denver, Colorado was taken from the International Space Station. Denver is the capital city of Colorado and the most populous city in the state.

London at Night

This amazing photo of London at night was captured from the International Space Station in February 2003. London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom.

Earth at Night

This image of the earth at night is actually composed of 400 pictures taken by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite. It can be noticed that the brightest lights are concentrated in urban areas.

United Kingdom

This is how the United Kingdom looks like at night. It was taken by an astronaut from the International Space Station in February 1, 2008.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the distance from earth to mars, and here's an article about the symbol for planet earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool satellite views of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

City of Shenyang

Here's an image of the city of Shenyang taken from the International Space Station. Shenyang is one of the most important cities in China in terms of industry.

Backdropped by a Colorful Earth

This picture shows two astronauts, Robert L. Curbeam, Jr. (left) and Christer Fuglesang while conducting an extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station as part of the STS-116 mission. On the background is the Cook Strait in New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean.

Egypt's Lake Nasser

Here's a high quality photo of the Lake Nasser taken from the International Space Station by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao. It was taken in January 23, 2005. Lake Nasser which can be found in Egypt is 550 km long and 35 km across.

The Earth & Moon

This image of the earth and its moon was taken separately by the spacecraft Galileo in 1992 during its journey to planet Jupiter. Galileo was launched in October 18, 1989 and became the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter.

View of Earth’s horizon taken by Expedition 7

This breathtaking photo of the earth's horizon was taken from the International Space Station by an Expedition 7 astronaut in July 21, 2003. Expedition 7 used the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft which is the most recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about 10 interesting facts about the earth, and here's an article about the temperature of earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some very nice planet earth photos. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Sunrise in Space

This photo of the earth's atmosphere during sunrise was taken in July 2005 by a Discovery crew member during the STS-114 mission. STS-114 mission was the first Return to Flight mission after the unfortunate loss of the Columbia space shuttle.

The Earth & Moon

This image of the earth and its moon was taken separately by the spacecraft Galileo in 1992 during its journey to planet Jupiter. Galileo was launched in October 18, 1989 and became the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter.

SuitSat-1 Floats Free

This is an image of the SuitSat-1 roaming freely on space taken from the International Space Station. This is the latest satellite of earth launched on Feb. 3, 2006.

Ongoing Eruption of Mount Belinda

This is an amazing photo of the eruption of Mount Belinda volcano located at the Montagu Island. This was taken from the Terra satellite by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on December 7, 2003.

Moon Aglow

This breathtaking photo of the earth's atmosphere and the full moon was taken from the International Space Station by an Expedition 10 crew member in October 2004. Expedition 10 crew members, Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov relieved the two Expedition 9 crew members, Mike Fincke and Gennady Padalka.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the lithosphere of the earth, and here's an article about the center of the earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some amazing views of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

The Himalaya Mountains

Here's a breathtaking view of the Himalaya Mountains. This image was captured from the International Space Station by a crew member of the Expedition 10 in February 1, 2005.

Thinning Upper Atmosphere

This is an image of the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere taken from the International Space Station in December 18, 2003. The beautiful crescent moon was also captured in this photo.

The Algerian desert

Here's a nice image of the Algerian Desert. This was captured by Commander Leroy Chiao of Expedition 10 from the International Space Station in December 11, 2004.

The Brightness of the Sun

This spectacular photo of the earth was taken in November 22, 2009 from the International Space Station during the STS-129 mission of the Atlantis space shuttle.

The Americas and Hurricane Andrew

This image of the earth was taken in August 25, 1992 during the mighty devastation of Hurrican Andrew in the United States. It was captured by the NOAA GOES-7 satellite. G-O-E-S stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the sun hurling another flare on earth, and here's an article about the diameter of earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool satellite views of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

A Crescent Earth at Midnight

Here's an amazing picture of the earth in crescent. This breathtaking view of our planet was obtained by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-8) on June 22, 1996. GOES is primarily assigned in monitoring the weather particularly the development of storms and hurricanes in different parts of the earth.

A view of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from the International Space Station

Here's a satellite image of the Caribbean Island from the International Space Station taken by the Expedition 20 crew in September 28, 2009. Haiti, the location of the catastrophic earthquake which occurred just recently, can be found in this island together with Dominican Republic.

The Americas and Hurricane Andrew

This image of the earth was taken in August 25, 1992 during the mighty devastation of Hurrican Andrew in the United States. It was captured by the NOAA GOES-7 satellite. Hurricane Andrew is considered the third most powerful among the Category 5 hurricanes on earth to make a landfall during the 20th century.

London at Night

This amazing photo of London at night was captured from the International Space Station in February 2003.

The Himalaya Mountains

Here's a breathtaking view of the Himalaya Mountains. This image was captured from the International Space Station by a crew member of the Expedition 10 in February 1, 2005.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the symbol for planet earth, and here's an article about the closest star to earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some cool pictures of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Gosses Bluff Meteorite Crater

This is the satellite image of the Gosses Bluff Meteorite Crater which can be found in the MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia. This impact crater was caused by an asteroid or comet that was believed to hit the earth in the Cretaceous Period.

Greater Antilles islands in the Caribbean Sea

This photo of the Hispaniola island, one of the four islands of the Greater Antilles located in the Caribbean Sea was captured from the International Space Station by a crew member of the Expedition 17 in August 19, 2008. Dominican Republic and the recent victim of earthquake, Haiti, are located in the Hispaniola island.

Hanging Out

This picture shows a spectacular view of the earth behind astronaut Michael Gernhardt of the STS-69 mission of the space shuttle Endeavor in 1995.

Hurricane Emily and the Moon

This beautiful view of the eye of Hurricane Emily and the moon was captured from the International Space Station in July 16, 2005. Hurricane Emily is a Category 5 hurricane having a maximum wind speed of 160 mph.

The Blue Marble from Apollo 17

This is a spectacular full view of our planet earth. It was taken by the Apollo 17 during their journey to the moon in December 7, 1972. The image clearly shows the entire coastline of Africa together with the Arabian Peninsula.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about Saturn compared to Earth, and here's an article about the distance between the moon and earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some very interesting images of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

Egypt's Lake Nasser

Here's a high quality photo of the Lake Nasser taken from the International Space Station by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao. It was taken in January 23, 2005. Lake Nasser which can be found in Egypt is 550 km long and 35 km across.

Earthrise - Apollo 8

This spectacular image of the earth as seen from the moon was taken by the astronauts onboard the Apollo 8 space craft in December 1968.

Earth - South America (first frame of Earth Spin Movie)

This amazing photo of the earth was captured by the space craft Galileo during its flight to Jupiter in December 11, 1990. The Galileo space craft was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to study the Jupiter system.

Denakil Desert, Eritrea and Ethiopia November 1985

Here's an image of the Denakil Desert taken from the International Space Station in November 1985. Denakil Desert is located in the north eastern Ethiopia and is considered as the worst environment on earth.

Backpacking

This image shows the earth's horizon and the mission specialist Bruce McCandless II in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). MMU allows the astronauts to move freely in space without worrying about the danger of getting far from the spacecraft.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about what the earth is made of, and here's an article about earth-like planets.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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Here are some nice images of earth. You can turn any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then right-click and choose "Set as Desktop Background".

United Kingdom

Here's a spectacular image of the city lights in the United Kingdom at night. This photo was taken from the International Space Station.

The Brightness of the Sun

This spectacular photo of the earth was taken in November 22, 2009 from the International Space Station during the STS-129 mission of the Atlantis space shuttle.

The Algerian desert

Here's a nice image of the Algerian Desert. This was captured by Commander Leroy Chiao of Expedition 10 from the International Space Station in December 11, 2004.

Space, Horizon, Endeavour

This is an image of the space shuttle Endeavor during its first spacewalk. The space shuttle's name came from a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools for which it became the most popular entry.

The Blue Marble from Apollo 17

This is a spectacular full view of our planet earth. It was taken by the Apollo 17 during their journey to the moon in December 7, 1972. The image clearly shows the entire coastline of Africa together with the Arabian Peninsula.

We have written many articles about the planet Earth for Universe Today. Here's an article about the Earth compared to Venus, and here's an article about the distance between Saturn and Earth.

If you'd like more info about the Earth, check out Visible Earth, and here's a link to the NASA Earth Observatory Homepage.

We've also recorded related episodes of Astronomy Cast about the Earth. Listen here, Episode 51: Earth.

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