NASA has released the first complete image of the sunlit side of Earth after 43 years, captured by a weather satellite from a distance of one million miles on July 6. The last complete image of the entire planet taken by NASA dates back to 1972. The British newspaper Independent reports that since then, images of Earth have been composite, meaning several different images have been combined to form a complete picture of the planet. The new image is also a composite of three separate photos, but each of these photos captures the entire planet. The first complete image of Earth was taken by Apollo 17 in 1972, the last time NASA sent humans to the Moon. That image remains the only photo of the entire planet taken solely by a human, and reports indicate that all three astronauts who went on the lunar mission claim to have taken the photo themselves.
NASA Captures Complete Image of Earth Again After 43 Years
NASA has released a new complete image of Earth, the first since 1972, using a composite of three separate images taken from a weather satellite. This event marks a significant milestone in space photography and highlights the advancements in satellite technology since the last complete image was captured.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
NASA has released a new complete image of Earth, the first since 1972, using a composite of three separate images taken from a weather satellite. This milestone showcases advancements in satellite technology and space photography.
- The last complete image of Earth was taken in 1972 by Apollo 17.
- The new image was captured from a distance of one million miles.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The first complete image of Earth was taken during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, marking a historic moment in space exploration. Since then, composite images have been used to represent the planet.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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