The Blue Marble turns 40 today
December 7th, 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts took the photo that defined Earth.
Story and
image at Life
This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is Madagascar. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the northeast.
Posted by DaveH at December 7, 2012 4:46 PM