Earth  ID: 2682

Apollo 17 30th Anniversary: Earth photo Drift-in

Visualizations by Alex Kekesi Released on January 23, 2003
The Apollo 17 spacecraft was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at midnight on December 7th, 1972. Just hours after lift-off, the command module aligned with the Earth and Sun, allowing the crew to photograph Earth in full light. For the first time in an Apollo mission, the Antarctic continent was visible allowing for a photo to be taken by the orbiting astronauts. The photo was taken at about 18,000 statute miles away from Earth. Virtually every picture showing the full Earth is derived from this one photograph. Television, newspapers, websites, and marketing material have all used this photograph over the years. Geostationary weather satellites, Galileo, and many other spacecraft have returned great pictures of the full Earth from space, but this image is still the number one requested photo in the NASA photo archives.
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Animation of the Apollo 17 full Earth photo. This animation starts with the full earth in view and proceeds to do a slight drift into the image. This animation is match-framed to animation #2683 for a post-production transition.
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Digital copy of the Apollo 17 full Earth photograph.
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Video slate image reads "Apollo 17: Earth photo Drift-in

Slow push-in to the Apollo 17 earth image. Match-framed to 'Apollo 17: Blue Marble Drift-in' so that post production can dissolve between them".

Visualization Credits

Alex Kekesi (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Animator
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2682

Data Used:
Hasselblad 70mm Electric Camera/Photo #AS17-148-22727
12/7/1972
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This item is part of this series:
Apollo 17 30th Anniversary

Goddard TV Tape:
G2002-089

Keywords:
SVS >> Photography
SVS >> Picture
NASA Science >> Earth