# cool photo: Earth as seen from Mars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082 "2008-04-27T14:07:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/1 "2008-04-27T14:07:07Z")
In my humble opinion, this is a beautiful picture! [http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10244](http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10244) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/2 "2008-04-27T14:17:36Z")
Nice photo. Shame it is not larger. Which would be a more correct caption for this image. “Earth and the Moon as seen from Mars,” or “Earth and Luna as seen from Mars?” I note the page takes care to call The Sun “Sol.” ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/3 "2008-04-27T14:37:28Z")
WOW! I’d like to know what the angle of view relative to the orbit of the moon around Earth is, I suppose I can figure it out from the date given. But shazzam! That is the first “sidelong” view of the Earth and moon together that I’ve ever seen. I think it helps put the gravitational effect that the two bodies have on each other in some sort of graspable perspective. Fantastic. Of course, like \*\*Paul in Saudi \*\* I’d love to see higher resolution, but zooming in on the Earth I can still discern the outline of South America and the east coast of N. America. Pretty amazing. Thanks **rbroome**! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/4 "2008-04-27T16:06:30Z")
Also, check out the link on the page to the Selene videos of the earth rising and setting over the lunar landscape. They almost look fake, but are amazing. Wonder what I was doing right then? Probably sleeping, or surfing this place. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/5 "2008-04-27T16:12:35Z")
Is that real? How come the Earth looks so big and detailed? Why doesn’t Mars look that big when seen from Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/6 "2008-04-27T16:17:28Z")
[QUOTE=Amp] Is that real? How come the Earth looks so big and detailed? Why doesn’t Mars look that big when seen from Earth? [/QUOTE] Because the image was taken through what amounts to a telescope. If you stood on the surface of Mars and looked at the Earth, it would appear as small, bluish dot a bit larger than Mars looks from Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/7 "2008-04-27T16:18:38Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Because the image was taken through what amounts to a telescope. If you stood on the surface of Mars and looked at the Earth, it would appear as small, bluish dot a bit larger than Mars looks from Earth. [/QUOTE] Telescope :smack: I should have thought of that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/8 "2008-04-27T16:21:35Z")
[QUOTE=Amp] Is that real? How come the Earth looks so big and detailed? Why doesn’t Mars look that big when seen from Earth? [/QUOTE] Because Mars is half the size of earth? This shot was taken from orbit (no atmosphere in the way)? You do realize, this was shot using a telescope? Also, here’s an image of [mars](http://www.ratemyscreensaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/3195opo9709a2.jpg) taken from earth (with a telescope). ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/9 "2008-04-28T04:54:18Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] Also, check out the link on the page to the Selene videos of the earth rising and setting over the lunar landscape. They almost look fake, but are amazing. Wonder what I was doing right then? Probably sleeping, or surfing this place. [/QUOTE] Could you point us to the link? I’m having trouble finding it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/10 "2008-04-28T05:06:40Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/11 "2008-04-28T05:51:20Z")
[QUOTE=Wheeljack] Could you point us to the link? I’m having trouble finding it. [/QUOTE] Ahh, that’s odd, they must have changed the link. Anyway, I found it buried: [http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/index\_e.html](http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/index_e.html) Specifically [Earthrise](http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/en/hdtv/007/earth-rise.html) and [Earthset](http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/en/hdtv/007/earth-set.html). Also, [this](http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/en/hdtv/006/hdtv_006_5/hdtv_006_5_l.jpg) is pretty kickass too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/12 "2008-04-28T10:33:08Z")
Just a quick thanks, **rbroome.** That picture is now on my hard drive. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/13 "2008-04-28T17:40:36Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Nice photo. Shame it is not larger. Which would be a more correct caption for this image. “Earth and the Moon as seen from Mars,” or “Earth and Luna as seen from Mars?” I note the page takes care to call The Sun “Sol.” [/QUOTE] There’s a larger view linked on that page. See[here](http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA10244.jpg) . ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/14 "2008-04-28T17:45:38Z")
Was there a TV show called “Big Blue Marble”? Every time I see a picture of the wearth, I get a song in my head that goes “… the big blue marble, in spaaAAAAAACE!” Cool pics! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/15 "2008-04-28T19:30:47Z")
The larger pic is now my wallpaper. The proportions and distance seem off. Is the Moon a lot closer than Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/16 "2008-04-28T19:47:37Z")
Wow. I just realized through WIKI that the moon is about 30x the earth’s diameter in distance from the earth. For some reason you always picture it being closer. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/17 "2008-04-28T19:52:10Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Was there a TV show called “Big Blue Marble”? Every time I see a picture of the wearth, I get a song in my head that goes “… the big blue marble, in spaaAAAAAACE!” Cool pics! [/QUOTE] Thanks for the earworm! [/sarcasm] _..,wanders off, singing, “The Earth’s a big blue marble when you see it from out there…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/18 "2008-04-28T19:54:25Z")
And [here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1kkx2m-JSg). Now I’ll be singing it all day. Sigh. I forgot to add: Cool pics! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/19 "2008-04-28T19:59:05Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] The larger pic is now my wallpaper. The proportions and distance seem off. Is the Moon a lot closer than Earth? [/QUOTE] If the Moon were closer to the camera’s vantage point it could only be by about 240,000 miles maximum. Not much difference in proportion over 88 million miles! ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-earth-as-seen-from-mars/447082/20 "2008-04-28T21:02:12Z")
I too thought for some reason that the moon was closer. I think it will soon fly off into space. Sorry everyone.