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Woes may weigh heavy on the world at ground level, but from 22,000 miles up, even the strongest storm is a mere swirl of white on our beautiful blue planet.
This is a view of Earth on Christmas morning, blending archival imagery of Earth's surface from the MODIS instruments on NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites with hot-off-the-spacecraft weather data from NOAA's GOES-East satellite. You can see clouds streaming over the southeastern U.S. That's the storm front that brought a white Christmas to the Southwest; now it's bringing a soggy holiday to a region from Texas to Georgia. (For updates on the weather in your area and around the globe, check out msnbc.com's Weather section as well as the Weather Channel's website.)
NASA assembles the GOES-on-MODIS imagery automatically on a 24/7 basis and posts regular updates to its GOES Project Science website. You can even watch an animation that tracks weather systems as they sweep around the globe.
The world looks so peaceful from orbital heights. In fact, there's a name for the positive change in perspective that comes over astronauts when they see Earth from far above: the Overview Effect. Here's how the effect is described by the Overview Institute:
"It refers to the experience of seeing firsthand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, hanging in the void, shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. From space, the astronauts tell us, national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society with the united will to protect this 'pale blue dot' becomes both obvious and imperative. Even more so, many of them tell us that from the Overview perspective, all of this seems imminently achievable, if only more people could have the experience!"
We wish you all the best for the holiday season and the new year. Here's hoping that over the past 25 days, the Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar has given you fresh perspectives on the world, a renewed sense of wonder ... and maybe even a little taste of the Overview Effect.
The complete 2011 Space Advent Calendar and more:
- Dec. 1: An ornament in outer space
- Dec. 2: The masses in Mecca
- Dec. 3: Santa's shrinking domain
- Dec. 4: The monster of Madagascar
- Dec. 5: Antarctica stripped naked
- Dec. 6: Streaking for home
- Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor from above, 1941-2011
- Dec. 8: The rise and fall of the Dead Sea
- Dec. 9: How an eclipse dims Earth
- Dec. 10: Psychedelic storm
- Dec. 11: Beauty of the Inland Sea
- Dec. 12: Drone-spotting stirs up debate
- Dec. 13: Light up your St. Lucy's Day
- Dec. 14: Satellite spots Chinese aircraft carrier
- Dec. 15: Hooray for Hollywood
- Dec. 16: Olympics under construction
- Dec. 17: Mystery in the Gobi Desert
- Dec. 18: Glow over Miami
- Dec. 19: North Korea's dark ages
- Dec. 20: Happy Hanukkah from space
- Dec. 21: Season's tiltings
- Dec. 22: Circle of power
- Dec. 23: North Pole revealed
- Dec. 24: Sleigh ride in orbit
- Dec. 25: Peace over Earth
- Hubble calendar, from The Atlantic's In Focus
- 2011 Zooniverse Advent calendar
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
Planet Earth, a gift and a test from God to all living creatures that depend on it.
Did you ever wonder why He gave us the ability to destroy it?
the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society
AD'M this will never happen till we all stop with the god nonsense.
sorry but "the conflicts that divide us " are all religious in nature, how can you look at that picture and not see?
If we don't stop with the "my gods better than your god "stuff we are all domed
wade,
"AD'M this will never happen till we all stop with the god nonsense."
I respectfully disagree. It will never stop until we stop with the god nonsense and the no god nonsense. The strife is not caused by religion, it is caused by our own selfish natures and our need to identify with something that is opposed to what others identify with.
well Mickey um "the no god nonsense"??? apparently you have some sort of concrete proof of a God???
it's imposable to prove a negative but we can track trends, so we used Zeus to explain lightning now we know how it relay works ,we thought hades made volcanoes turns out it's a natural event no deity needed.
so now you wounder how we all got hear....I like to think we have learned are mistakes so lets not go down that disproven road again
Wade,
I disagree.
"The conflicts that divide us " is not religion but economics and racism. In fact our collective faith is what enlighten us of our common values, respect and family.
The crusades and inquisitions ideologies have been purged out of Western religions long ago. In Eastern religions, although there are some over zealous religious leaders they have never showed any signs of forcing their beliefs upon the West. The Palestinian - Israeli conflict is more territorial and economics issues than religion.
The overwhelming acts of war and conflict today are caused by criminals (money), extremists (ignorant racists who use religion to hide behind), anarchists (lazy losers) and power mongers (Hitlers, Stalins, Maos and, sorry to say, the Bushes).
I also believe we have made vast improvements towards a "planetary society", "global village", "utopian society", call it what you will, in the past 20+ years. The two most powerful leaders in the world hold their faith (to the same God) very dear to themselves, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. You could not have said this during the cold war. And there are signs, few but real, that China is turning a blind eye to some under ground religious meetings.
I think our only chance to survive is to find common ground within the religious context. Only a strong collective faith can purge racism and economic imbalance.
wade,
"apparently you have some sort of concrete proof of a God???"
Do you have concrete proof that there is no God? The existence or non-existence of God is not a matter of knowledge; it is a matter of opinion, of believing or not believing. Those who insist that there is no God are just insisting on asserting their own opinion which is fine; they're entitled to their opinion. But you know what they say, "Opinions are like noses; everyone has one."
Ad'M
"The crusades and inquisitions ideologies have been purged out of Western religions long ago. In Eastern religions, although there are some over zealous religious leaders"
you have just proved my point..... "MY RELIGION IS BETTER THAN THEIRS" but I forgive you for you know not what you say
Mickey when something is true or not true opinion doesn't change the truth
"Do you have concrete proof that there is no God?" ...you can't prove a negative furthermore if you explain the universe with a"GOD" you have not answered the question ,who made God and then who made that one and it never stops .
AM'm (whatever that's about) I have to say your thinking about how this Earth and life operates
is sorely clouded by religious dogma (AKA Baloney). Or if you like godma.
wade,
"you can't prove a negative"
You can also not argue from ignorance. That's a logical fallacy known in philosophy as "Ignoratio Elenchi". To say: "There is no evidence that God exists, therefore he/she/it does not exist" is arguing from ignorance. The most you are justified in saying is: "I don't know". There is no evidence that life exists on other planets either, but to conclude from that that there is no life on other planets would be arguing from ignorance. If by definition, God is not material and if it is true that all we can know about the material universe is what we can perceive with our senses, then it follows that we cannot know whether or not anything called God exists. But our lack of knowledge does not prove non-existence. I think a little humility is in order here. It has been said that God is omniscient, meaning all-knowing, but it seems to me that you have put man in that position. For you, man is omniscient. It should be obvious to you, however, that there is far more we do not know about this universe we live in than what we do know. It is painful to have to admit that we do not know everything and even more painful to admit that there may be things even beyond this material universe we will never know for the simple reason that as material beings we are incapable of knowing them. But whether we can know them or not has no bearing on whether or not they exist. It simply means that our ability to know is limited by our very nature as human beings.
by your reckoning any thin I make up in my imagination is real because it can not be disproven or maby it made of magical dust that we cant see
God is a man made idea that deals with your fear of mortality there was no reason for us as people to have asked the question about a creator but once the question was posed it gave thous who wanted power to take your free will from you
wade,
"by your reckoning any thin I make up in my imagination is real because it can not be disproven or maby it made of magical dust that we cant see"
I did not say that. I was simply pointing out the limitations of human knowledge. We know what we know, and we do not know what we do not know. But our knowing or not knowing has nothing to do with the existence of anything. It's just as important to be aware of what you do not know as it is to be aware of what you do know. The philosopher Socrates said he was better off than other people because, while he did not know the answers to everything, he at least knew that he did not know, whereas many others who claimed to know the answers did not really know them but were not even aware that they did not know. All learning begins with the recognition of our ignorance. If you think you already know the answer to every question, you will not even bother to ask the question or begin to investigate to find the answer to it, and hence you will learn nothing.
Micky you don't know the limitations of human knowledge any thing can be understood if you take the time
it seems that what ever cult you have joined has you well programed ,yes cult is "any organized religion"
to say God can't be understood is a trick of the English language and has no true meaning save to confuse doubters ie.a form of double talk
truly something that is complex just needs to be broken down in to small steps we do it all the time.
wade,
The only "cult" I belong to is the cult of philosophy. I have a B.A. in that subject. You should try reading some philosophy. It might help you understand what I've been trying to say.
wade,
Here is a simple question for you. Break it down to it's fundamental mechanism and tell us where it leads you?
Why are you more intelligent than the other life forms on the planet?
Hint; Γένεση 1.27. :-)
Ad'm don't know it just happened I gess I got lucky maybe its beyond the grasp of humans. "sorry I couldn'thelp it" but seriously ifwhat you mean is why are humans more intelligent the simpleanswer is adaptation its not that unusual random chance produced it and survivability kept it.
Mickey to bad you didn't study philology then you would know why you a others need to believe in immorality . I to have studied philosophy along with physics, mechanics,philosophy and I speak 6 languages.
apparently you need to broaden you views to much of one thing gives a person tunnelvision.an affect you see a lot of from students that have just graduated from collage they have become to focused on one subject for to long.makes it hard to "think out side the box"
wade,
"Mickey to bad you didn't study philology then you would know why you a others need to believe in immorality . I to have studied philosophy along with physics, mechanics,philosophy and I speak 6 languages.
apparently you need to broaden you views to much of one thing gives a person tunnelvision.an affect you see a lot of from students that have just graduated from collage they have become to focused on one subject for to long.makes it hard to "think out side the box""
I did, in fact, study linguistics, and as far as languages are concerned, I've got you beat, since I can read 8 languages besides English. I noticed that you also make a lot of unfounded assumptions about people. Who said anything about believing in immortality? I certainly did not. In fact, I have not said a thing about what I believe in or do not believe in. You are the one who has been telling me what you do not believe in; not I. And, by the way, I did not just graduate from college, and you're the one who cannot think outside the box. You appear to be trapped inside the box of 19th. century materialism and naturalism. You might also want to work on your grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It would make your posts a lot easier to read and understand.
sorry I',m trying to keep nit short
Thank you again Alan for this amazing calendar and all it's wonderful photo's. Have a Merry Christmas.
A Quote From Carl Sagan
Pale Blue Dot
Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there -- on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.
Carl Sagan
Have a Merry Christmas, Tom And Lyn
Earth...Terra....3rd Rocky Planet in orbit around the star colloquially designated Sol.
When I see this picture, in some ways I'm reminded of looking at photos of my childhood home in Idaho. It wasn't much to look at, a simply white double wide trailer that was always supposed to be replaced at some point with a real house, the acres of pastureland and crop land surrounding it. Black and White Holstein Cows grazing lazily on the grass. My sister and myself running freely around the yard. My parents sitting on the porch watching us while sipping coffee. When I look at the photos, sometimes I wonder why I ever left such a peaceful, beautiful place.
Earth will always be the cradle of our species, whether one believes it was a process taking billions of years or the mystical weaving of the divine, and no amount of exploration, colonization or further development will change that. However, we as a species are definitely reaching the point where, the cradle is simply too small to contain us.
Yes, dreams of strange new worlds and new life and new civilizations may seem frivolous to those more concerned about things like debts and global currency values, or global temperature fluctuations, rising ocean levels, and shrinking rain forests. I view them as pragmatical concerns, they are the signs of the toddler human race's limbs pushing and straining against a cradle now too small to contain the population and technological development.
On this day of contemplation and love of family, I urge everyone to consider the choice rapidly approaching humanity...leave this peaceful blue and white orb, so that she may remain for some of the species, or we must plan to make concrete, and in some instances, horrifying sacrifices to ensure that the human race stays at a certain size.
Would you cut your child's limbs off so they could stay in the crib? I wouldn't either....
AuroraD: I was worried as I read your post that you were going to suggest something like Logan's Run. That would not be the answer. They say China's one child policy has led to millions of baby girls being killed. If we're going to encourage such practices it moves us from superiority over animals to being their equal.
AuroraD good post
When I Started reading your post, it also reminded me of my childhood, yes my family also lived in a double wide trailer for years and it was also supposed to be replaced with a real home, but now that I think of it really hard, that was our home and it was more then most people had at the time when I was growing up, I will never forget the memories there.
One thing I have learned over the years is that the more money you have the harder it is to keep up with, and the more problems you have along with it. In a sense money makes you happy in some respects, but gives you a lot of misery trying to manage it in a way that does not cloud your judgment when it comes to respect to others. Having money or material things can be good in one way, and bad in another.
Have a good day, and Merry Christmas to all, Tom And Lyn
Excellent point Tom: I'm a thousand miles from being rich, but my childhood was 10,000 miles. Being a little better off now than in the 60's has brought tons more obligations and problems that need solving. Sometimes I long to be able to go back to an obligation free childhood for just a week. It's true: You don't know how good you had it till you don't have it.
imnotlost Thanks
Also a good point, I remember when I was young, I new everything or at least I thought I did, the older I get, I scratch my head and think, how did I ever make it to today????? Thinking that I new it all. lol I remember my grandfather telling me that he learned something everyday even at the age of 83, and you know he was RIGHT !!!! I just wish I could have figured that out when I was young.
Have a good day, Tom And Lyn
Peace on earth as the rush for sales, the pushing and shoving and other violence associated with it along with the traffic has finally come to an end!
Yes, we need to get a long. But we don't need this 'one world government' crap rammed down our throats.
Take your communist ideology and burn it. It doesn't work, remember?
Gosh, and a Merry Christmas to you, too, jomamax.
jomamax; where has PURE communism. socailism, capitalism, or for that matter, ANY of the "ism's" been a reality? Seems that ALL these "ism's" have had some folks living in palaces, castles, white houses, gated communities, etc...Do you think any of them might work if they were implemented as perhaps originally intended? Methinks just maybe they began with some good intentions...?? Might be nice if we all started caring/sharing during our brief visit to this planet. This old fool is confused. Would you please enlighten me? This is not sarcasm.
Thanks
"From a distance, the world looks blue and green and the snow-capped mountains, white......." It is a lovely song, I think Bette Midler sang it (not sure). This calendar is just exquisite. Thank you for a lovely, peaceful, Christmas article.
This remarkable image should be in everyone's home to remind us of what we need to take care of...
Merry Christmas to all
Hey Alan Boyle: You Rock, my friend. So great to see the results of someone who not only does their job well, but loves what they do. Keep up the good work.
So, for all you self-important people that believe you are the be all and end all of society, and that includes every last one of you politicians; pick yourself out in this picture.
Oh, you can't see yourselves in this picture?
THAT is how important you all really are!
I can see my house!
Merry Christmas Everybody
Is that the true colour of this planet? It appears a little over exposed due to being able to see
the aqua blue of the Bahamas. I am skeptical you would be able to see the Bahamas like that from
that distance. I guess you would have to ask an Apollo astronaut if that is the true colour of the Earth.
The Earth is very much alive in it's own right and is why all life has evolved and continues to do so for future eons. Even when another extinction event occurs, life will continue on some level and take a new direction. All evidence of humanity will disappear as possibly some other form of top consumer evolves. This will happen over and over again until the sun itself dies out or the Earth's magnetic field ceases turning the earth into a lifeless mass of water and land.
How uplifting.
The colors are based on MODIS observations from numerous passes over the earth at closer range. What they do for this full-disk image is superimpose black-and-white imagery of the cloud cover and lighting on the MODIS "Blue Planet" imagery. There's no question that the blue-green of the Bahamas can be seen from 225 miles up, where the astronauts orbit, and I suppose there's no reason why a taste of it shouldn't be seen from 22,000 miles as well.
Ok . The Apollo pic does indicate a similar shade of blue. http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/hires/a17_h_148_22727.gif&imgrefurl=http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/a17_h_148_22727.html&h=709&w=720&sz=226&tbnid=bETQtkPBvYtDuM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=91&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dapollo%2Bpic%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bearth%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=apollo+pic+of+the+earth&docid=WVaDBBx1xMQD4M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XO_4Ts62AuPy0gHUuMSqAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ9QEwAg&dur=734
Thank you so very, very much for this photo. Earth is really a beautiful sight from afar. It would be nice if we viewed it like this from within. Absolutely, astoundingly beautiful. Thanks again.
I remain a confirmed agnostic so long as organized religions tell me what I must believe. However, this amazing image allows me to consider the possible existence of an intelligent source which designed the beauty of the universe and began its evolution into today's world.
Second that...
@ Mickey. I agree. It is our selfish desires and our need to identify with something opposed. The question is why are we like that? Peace although desired by all. Will it ever come? It's a beautiful planet from far away. But like a diamond when you look close you see the blemishes. It's a beautiful place amidst the ugliness of this world.
george,
"The question is why are we like that?"
That's a very good question that I, unfortunately, do not know the answer to. The best guess I can make is that its because of our survival instinct gone awry. Each one of us wants to survive above all else, but we tend to see ourselves as individual units and perhaps mistakenly think that the best way to survive is by fighting against all "enemies" that we see as being different from ourselves rather than working together with others to make a better world in which we can all survive together. The philosopher/novelist Jean Paul Sartre once wrote a play entitled "Huis Clos" ("Behind Closed Doors") in which a group of people of very different backgrounds were locked in a windowless room together. They very quickly started jumping on each other about their differences, and soon their lives were all miserable. The theme of that play was, "Hell is other people". I think he was right to a certain extent when people focus on their differences, but he overlooked the fact that heaven is also other people when they focus on what they have in common and work together instead of against each other. And I agree, the Earth is a beautiful planet from far away. Merry Christmas, George!
It's really beautiful looking at the Earth from afar. But actually, the earth is full if pain, suffering and what not. In Christmas time, I appreciate what I have for food, gifts, shelter and clothing. I must say I think about others as well. I hope all are well. Peace on Earth. Merry Christmas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNO72aCnVr0&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2VCwBzGdPM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojeLyPo_Wz4
Merry Christmas all.
"Peace on Earth"----------Yeah, Right!!!
If there is a God, he should have resigned a long time ago considering the mess he has engineered over the years.
Because everything ends.
How beautiful is this picture! From this vantage point it is possible to believe there is Peace on Earth!!