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First Picture of the Earth and Moon in a Single Frame
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First Picture of the Earth and Moon in a Single Frame
This picture of the Earth and Moon in a single frame, the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft, was recorded September 18, 1977, but NASAs Voyager 1 when it was 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers) from Earth. The moon is at the top of the picture and beyond the Earth as viewed by Voyager. In the picture are eastern Asia, the western Pacific Ocean and part of the Arctic. Voyager 1 was directly above Mt. Everest (on the night side of the planet at 25 degrees north latitude) when the picture was taken. The photo was made from three images taken through color filters, then processed by the Image Processing Lab at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Because the Earth is many times brighter than the Moon, the Moon was artificially brightened by a factor of three relative to the Earth by computer enhancement so that both bodies would show clearly in the prints. Voyager 1 was launched September 5, 1977 and Voyager 2 on August 20, 1977. JPL is responsible for the Voyager mission
Space Image feature a selection of NASA's incredible imagery
Media ID 635284
© NASA
Earth Jet Propulsion Laboratory Moon Mt Everest Voyager 1
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This iconic print captures a breathtaking moment in space exploration history. Taken on September 18,1977, by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, it showcases the Earth and Moon together in a single frame for the very first time. From a distance of approximately 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers) away from our planet, Voyager 1 managed to capture this awe-inspiring view. In this remarkable image, we can see the Moon positioned at the top while the Earth lies beyond it as observed by Voyager. The picture reveals eastern Asia, parts of the Arctic region, and stretches of the western Pacific Ocean. Interestingly enough, when this photograph was taken, Voyager 1 was directly above Mt. Everest on Earth's night side at a latitude of 25 degrees north. To create this stunning visual representation, three separate images were captured using color filters and later processed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Image Processing Lab. Due to Earth being significantly brighter than its lunar companion in reality, computer enhancement techniques were employed to artificially brighten the Moon three times relative to our planet. The launch dates for both Voyager missions are also worth noting; Voyager 1 embarked on its journey into space on September 5th while its counterpart Voyager 2 set off slightly earlier on August 20th in that same year of scientific exploration -1977. As we marvel at this extraordinary snapshot from deep space, let us acknowledge JPL's pivotal role in overseeing these groundbreaking voyages through their responsibility for managing and executing NASA's ambitious mission with utmost precision and expertise.
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