Blue Marble: the iconic photo that inspires us to protect our planet

The Blue Marble photograph, taken by the Apollo 17 spacecraft on December 7, 1972, is an iconic and inspiring image.

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The photograph shows the Earth in all its beauty and majesty, with the deep blue of the oceans, the white of the clouds, and the browns, greens, and whites of the continents all visible. The photograph was taken during the final moon mission of the Apollo program, as the spacecraft was departing from the moon's orbit. As the spacecraft flew around the far side of the moon, the astronauts were able to capture the first-ever photograph of the Earth that showed the entire planet.

The Blue Marble photograph has been credited with helping to spark the modern environmental movement. Seeing the Earth from space, with no political boundaries or other distinctions visible, gives a sense of the planet's fragility and interconnectedness. This has inspired many people to work towards protecting the environment and preserving the planet for future generations.

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In addition to its environmental impact, the Blue Marble photograph has also been a source of inspiration for artists, writers, and other creatives. The image has been used in countless works of art, from paintings and sculptures to songs and poetry. It has also been featured in numerous books, articles, and other forms of media, often as a symbol of the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

The Blue Marble photograph has also been an important reminder of the human desire to explore and discover. It was taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts, Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ron Evans, who were the last humans to visit the moon.

In other NASA news, the space agency recently published a new photograph taken by the Hubble Space Telescope that showcases an outstanding star cluster 160,000 light years from Earth. The star cluster is called NGC 2002 and contains about 1,100 stars while sporting an irregular shape as a result of the overall low gravitational attraction from the stars within the region. If you are interested in reading more about that story, or would like to check out more space news visit the above and below links.

• Read more: NASA's Hubble examines outstanding star cluster 160,000 light years from Earth