Sixty years ago on Aug. 7, 1959, the Explorer 6 satellite sent back crude TV images of Earth from space. Since then, there have been landmark moments in Earth photography, such as the famous “Earthrise,” “Eagle’s Return,” and “Blue Marble” shot by NASA’s Apollo astronauts, to the more recent “Pale Blue Dot.”
Explorer 6 Satellite
While it was the first to transmit pictures of Earth via satellite, Explorer 6’s images are far from the best. Showing a sunlit area of the Pacific Ocean and its cloud cover, it was taken when the satellite was 17,000 miles above Earth on Aug. 14, 1959, just a week after being launched. Fortunately, progress in capturing Earth’s beauty advanced quickly thereafter.
“Earthrise”
On Christmas Eve, 1968, the first humans orbited the Moon. NASA’s Apollo 8 astronauts had the opportunity to photograph the far side of the Moon, where Bill Anders took the first pictures of Earth from lunar orbit, including the iconic “Earthrise.” This image significantly contributed to the environmental movement, as astronaut Frank Borman emphasized the fragility of Earth and humanity’s smallness in the universe. Interestingly, the first photo of Earth from the Moon was actually taken by Lunar Orbiter 1 on Aug 23, 1966.
“Blue Marble”
The first photograph depicting Earth in its entirety was captured on Dec. 7, 1972, by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, a member of the Apollo 17 crew during NASA’s final Moon landing mission. This remarkable image, presented upside down (with Antarctica visible on top), reveals the stunning view made possible by Apollo 17 being in optimal position with the sun behind them during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer solstice. Due to the conclusion of crewed Moon missions, replicating this image hasn’t been possible, though a NASA satellite called the Deep Space Climate Observatory now streams a “Blue Marble” image.
“Pale Blue Dot”
American astronomer Carl Sagan made a profound statement on Feb. 14, 1990, when he urged NASA to turn Voyager 1’s camera back towards its home solar system. While the spacecraft had completed its groundbreaking mission photographing Saturn and Jupiter, it cleverly captured Earth as merely a single pixel amidst scattered light rays. Sagan poignant words reflect on humanity’s existence within this vast universe: “Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us…” At that moment, Voyager 1 was 3.7 billion miles away, and it now resides an astounding 13 billion miles from Earth in interstellar space.
“The Day the Earth Smiled”
In some respects, “The Day the Earth Smiled” serves as an updated rendition of the “Pale Blue Dot.” This striking image, taken by NASA’s Cassini space probe on July 19, 2013, captures Saturn eclipsing the Sun. Conceived by planetary scientist Carolyn Porco, the photograph includes Saturn along with its rings, seven of its moons, and in the backdrop, Venus, Mars, and Earth. The day the photo was captured, individuals were encouraged to reflect on their existence in the cosmos and gaze upwards at the wonders around them.
