Picture of the day - December 9, 2006

Earth And Moon From A Different Perspective

Photo courtesy of NASA's Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory.   As we go about our daily lives here on earth, the perspective from which we view the moon changes little. While its apparent size and appearance change often with the time of day and lunar phase, it always appears somewhere in the sky above the horizon. In other words, we earthlings are accustomed to looking "up" to see the moon. But what would you see if you traveled some 240 miles above the earth, then turned around and looked back towards home from space? This amazing picture taken from aboard the International Space Station gives you a view of the earth and moon from just that perspective! Since the moon is always located roughly a quarter of a million miles from earth, it is never really anywhere near the outer reaches of the planet's atmosphere - but it certainly appears to be in today's picture!   Submit a photo of your own! Picture of the day archives