Earlier this year, NASA’s NPP ( National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project), took a series of images of the earth, which, when stitched together, produced this absolutely stunning image.
We really do have a beautiful home, don’t we? And for an even more incredible view, click here to view the 8000 x 8000 pixel version, it’s well worth it.
I came across this image at Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy blog; the place where I get most of the astronomy photos that I post here. In his post about this image he had this to say,
Apropos of nothing, I’ll note the images making up this seamless mosaic were taken around the same time the Earth was at perihelion, when it was closest to the Sun in its orbit. There is nothing particularly important about that fact, but still… when I see pictures like this I think about how amazing our planet is, and how wonderfully well-adapted we are to it. Evolution is a stochastic process, a semi-random series of bumps and false starts that literally made us who were are today. But that doesn’t change the feeling of comfort I get when I see a picture of Earth, floating in space, sitting in the brightest and warmest sunlight of the year.
Perfectly said, Phil.
myintelligentlife.wordpress.com 
Beautiful planet indeed but still quite a tiny speck in the universe!
Absolutely gorgeous!
I love seeing the planet without imaginary lines dividing it up into arbitrary portions.
…. indeed!!!!!! And how deeply I dream we could someday LIVE in a planet without imaginary lines leading to very real boundaries, illusionary and false differences blinding us from the actual richness of our variety…
My personal soundtrack is playing “From A Distance” by Nanci Griffith when I look at this….
Wonderful post!
I see it now. There is Intelligent Life on our planet.
Welcome Home!