Earth viewed from Mars orbit

In summary, the photos were taken from the Mars Global Surveyor which is in orbit around Mars and is there for the purpose of looking at Mars. The shot of the Earth from Mars was a small distance of 86 million miles away but this snap shot was actually 4 BILLION MILES away from Earth. The colored beam is that runs across the Earth in the shot is sunlight relecting in the camera.
  • #1
Phobos
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
1,957
7
very cool

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/05/22/earth.mars.ap/index.html [Broken]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Why does Earth look blurry?
 
  • #3
Here's a larger picture,

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/images/20030522a-02_hr.jpg

which is off this site,

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20030522a.html
 
  • #4
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
Why does Earth look blurry?
Crappy cameras? Read what john posted
 
  • #5
I'm thinking that its actually a great camera being used for something that is outside of its design range.

The photos were taken from the Mars Global Surveyor...which is in orbit around Mars...and is there for the purpose of looking at Mars. In other words, the camera is designed to survey things that are a few hundred miles away and, due to a "fortuitous alignment", was used this one time to grab a snapshot of the Earth which is millions of miles away. It does not have the resolution capability to bring the Earth into greater focus although it can take high-res photos of the Martian surface.

But hey, it's a better view of Earth than you can get of Mars with any cheap telescope. (does that sentence make any sense? )

Anyway, they had the opportunity to take this shot out of curiousity. As far as I know, the previous shot of Earth from Mars just looked like a small dot...so this is a big improvement. :smile:

No new discoveries here...just an interesting picture (Earth from a new perspective).
 
  • #6
Phobos.. you thinkin of this shot maybe??

http://www.space.com/images/blue_dot_010925_03.jpg [Broken]


it was actually taken by Voyager 1 in 1991..

while the shot of the Earth from Mars was a small distance of 86 million miles away.. this snap shot was actually 4 BILLION MILES away from earth..

the colored beam is that runs across the Earth in the shot is sunlight relecting in the camera...

its a pretty cool shot.. even if it is only a tiny dot
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #7
Originally posted by kleinma
Phobos.. you thinkin of this shot maybe??

that's the one!

Sagan said he had to do some heavy lobbying to get the mission folks to agree to take that one (they feared that the camera may be damaged when pointed toward the sun like that, plus they knew it would only show a dot at best and that it would have no real scientific value).

Anyway, I'm glad we have it for philosophical purposes.
 

1. What does Earth look like from Mars orbit?

From Mars orbit, Earth appears as a small, bright blue and white dot in the sky. It is significantly smaller and less detailed than what we see from Earth's surface.

2. Can we see any man-made structures or features on Earth from Mars orbit?

No, the distance between Mars and Earth is too great for man-made structures or features to be visible to the naked eye from Mars orbit.

3. How often can Earth be seen from Mars orbit?

Earth is visible from Mars orbit approximately every two years when the two planets are at their closest point in their respective orbits.

4. Can any other planets be seen from Mars orbit?

Yes, other planets such as Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn can also be seen from Mars orbit depending on their relative positions in their orbits.

5. How does the view of Earth from Mars orbit compare to other planets?

The view of Earth from Mars orbit is unique because it is the only planet in our solar system known to support life. Other planets may appear similar in size and color, but Earth's atmosphere and abundance of water make it stand out in the vastness of space.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
993
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
3
Replies
98
Views
8K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
801
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
29
Views
4K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
28
Views
3K
Back
Top