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Satellite Snaps Earth's Photo From Mars
Associated Press ^ | 5/22/2003 | ANDREW BRIDGES

Posted on 05/22/2003 8:52:21 PM PDT by anymouse

NASA on Thursday released what it billed as the first portrait of Earth as seen from Mars.

The colorized photograph shows Earth from 86 million miles away as a small blue dot orbited by its even smaller moon.

The keen-eyed can make out clouds over the central and eastern United States and northern South America, as well as portions of Central America and the Gulf of Mexico, in a specially processed blowup of the image.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took the picture while orbiting the Red Planet on May 8.

"This image gives us a new perspective ... one in which we can see our own planet as one among many," said Michael Malin, whose San Diego company built and operates the camera. Jupiter can also be seen in the picture.

NASA said the portrait was unprecedented — but not for lack of trying.

The agency's Pathfinder spacecraft tried several times to photograph Earth after reaching Mars in 1997 but was thwarted by cloudy skies.

Images of Earth from space have been among the most compelling images produced by NASA missions.

Apollo 8 began orbiting the moon on Dec. 24, 1968, becoming the first manned mission to do so. During a live Christmas Eve television broadcast, the three-man crew took turns reading from the book of Genesis and showing images of the Earth as it rose above the moon.

And in 1990, as NASA's unmanned Voyager 1 spacecraft reached the fringes of the solar system, it turned back to take a final look at Earth at the suggestion of astronomer Carl Sagan. The image, taken from 4 billion miles away, inspired the title of Sagan's 1994 book "A Pale Blue Dot."

"Look again at that dot. 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," Sagan wrote.

___

On the Net: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/22



TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Technical; US: California
KEYWORDS: earth; goliath; mars; moon; nasa; space
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To: anymouse
It' all a fake!
21 posted on 05/23/2003 9:15:50 AM PDT by AndrewC (Just kidding)
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To: RadioAstronomer
Well, it looks as if this lot can add.
22 posted on 05/23/2003 9:16:54 AM PDT by AndrewC (Just kidding)
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To: anymouse
I think I see canals.
23 posted on 05/23/2003 9:58:41 AM PDT by jlogajan
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To: AndrewC
Well, it looks as if this lot can add.

I knew folks on that program also. I was just sick over the loss of that mission.

24 posted on 05/23/2003 2:56:38 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: baseballfanjm
Actually, I'm terrified of nebulas. I've had nightmares about them, no kidding. But they're really cool nonetheless.

Supernovas freak me out.

25 posted on 05/23/2003 3:06:23 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68
While we're at it, quasars are weird too.
26 posted on 05/23/2003 3:47:47 PM PDT by baseballfanjm (The Red Sox= 2003 World Champs, Pedro and Nomar= World Series MVPs, Me= forever hopeful)
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To: Sloth
"Hey, I can see my house!"

So can I. Next time pull your shades before you do that.
27 posted on 05/23/2003 3:54:26 PM PDT by DugwayDuke
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To: baseballfanjm
While we're at it, quasars are weird too.

Not in San Francisco.

28 posted on 05/23/2003 3:57:18 PM PDT by AndrewC (Just kidding)
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To: jwfiv
Before the first color earth from space images were taken, it was thought that earth would be green. So, blue is okay, too.
29 posted on 05/23/2003 4:02:18 PM PDT by RightWhale (Theorems link concepts; proofs establish links)
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To: RightWhale
Yes, the Good Blue Earth...strange to the ears, but it has a nice ring to it...)
30 posted on 05/23/2003 4:07:55 PM PDT by jwfiv
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To: jwfiv
Blue Marble. We look like a blue marble. Sagan, probably.
31 posted on 05/23/2003 4:11:52 PM PDT by RightWhale (Theorems link concepts; proofs establish links)
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To: RightWhale
If not Sagan, then maybe PBS...the Big Blue Marble was, I think, the name of a show from the 80s...seems to stir a memory.
32 posted on 05/23/2003 4:30:02 PM PDT by jwfiv
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