TORONTO – NASA has released their 2012 edition of the “Blue Marble” image and it has gone viral on the internet impressing viewers with its sharpness and detail.
The title of the image, “Blue Marble,” is a reference to the 1972 photo of the earth that is widely considered to be one of the most famous photos of the 20th century. The photo was taken by the astronauts from a distance of roughly 45,000 kilometres.
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The iconic image was also the default background on the original Iphone.
The new image, taken in 2012, features the earth from approximately 512 miles away. Interestingly, the photo was taken not with a camera, but with a scanner. The scanner is called a Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and measures light reflected off the earth. A NASA scientist then made the image by running software that translate the data collected by VIIRS into an image.
VIIRS though is not just able to make stunning images, it also can track cloud formations, track the location of fires, and measures ocean temperatures.
The photo quickly went viral. Mary Dorner wrote on Twitter “Amazing new hi-res photo of the “Blue Marble” from NASA. Soon to be your desktop background.”
To view the full size of the 2012 Blue Planet photo, click here.
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