Happy Earth Day!

Here's the Blue Marble, on December 7, 1972. From NASA:

View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the moon. This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is Madagascar. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the northeast."

[#1 posted by ion_stasi, April 22, 2009 9:35 AM]

Also, Happy Earth Day from Devin Townsend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY49vPTQ33s

[#2 posted by nosehat, April 22, 2009 9:40 AM]

Well, here's what Madagascar looks like today.

*sigh*

[#3 posted by Teller, April 22, 2009 9:41 AM]

You don't look a day over 4,000!

[#4 posted by KeithIrwin, April 22, 2009 9:43 AM]

Okay, I don't get it. Why switch from the original image to the upside-down one? You had it in its original orientation when I visited this site this morning, and now you've flipped it around. Why? Is it so terrible having Antarctica on top?

[#5 posted by nerak, April 22, 2009 9:52 AM]

Earth Day requires a dose of Carlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

[#6 posted by annoyingmouse, April 22, 2009 10:12 AM]

That's not Earth! That's our planet! Did none of you watch the finale of documentary series Battlestar Galactica to catch that little documented fact? And you call yourself geeks! Happy New Earth Day!

[#7 posted by FreakCitySF, April 22, 2009 10:16 AM]

yeah! upside down? who says!

Need the camera to zoom out from the earth with Armstrong!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc

[#8 posted by David Pescovitz, April 22, 2009 10:32 AM]

KeithIrwin @4, I switched it because the caption was for the rotated image.

[#9 posted by Oman, April 22, 2009 10:42 AM]

An unbelievably small flow of water allows a small village to survive up in Oman’s mountains on Earth Day
http://blog.omanholiday.co.uk/blog/_archives/2009/4/22/4161107.html

[#10 posted by Anonymous, April 22, 2009 11:21 AM]

It saddens me that people's geography knowledge is so poor that NASA would feel the need to tell them what Madagascar is!!

[#11 posted by Captain Squiffy, April 22, 2009 11:23 AM]

I teach high school geography. Show ten of my students that picture and eight of them won't be able to ID a single feature...and that's at the end of the course.

Either my students can't learn or I'm a total failure. Probably a combination of the two.

Capt'n Squiffy

[#12 posted by Anonymous, April 22, 2009 1:24 PM]

Earth Day should be everyday, it is good that there is at least one day to spread awareness. Here are some suggestions on what you can do to help the Earth: http://www.toptentopten.com/topten/things+to+do+on+earth+day, you can add your own suggestions.