# The famous "Earth rise" photo **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249 "2013-02-24T15:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/21 "2013-02-24T21:17:09Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > It must be this. A quick google image search for [photographs of the moon](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1680&bih=933&q=moon+photography) doesn’t show any where you can clearly see stars. Basically the moon is [far brighter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude) than anything else in the night sky, and orders of magnitude brighter than most stars that would be visible to the naked eye. I assume that the apparent magnitude of Earth, as seen from the moon, would be comparable or even greater. Yes - the average Earth albedo (reflectiveness coefficient, more or less) is about 0.3 while the Moon is only about 0.12, and the Earth’s diameter is four times greater (so about 16x the area of the disc). So the Earth from the Moon is, phase for phase, far brighter than the Moon from the Earth. Also, there’s no lunar atmosphere to dim the Earth, though the stars would be correspondingly brighter. But it’s not the Earth that’s the over-exposure problem a quarter million miles away - it’s the Moon lit up like a Sahara noon right at your feet. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/22 "2013-02-24T23:14:03Z")
> [@sevenwood](#): > > Not only are the stars visible - the bottom half of the Earth is missing! Seriously, stars are showing right through where the bottom half of the Earth should be! No, no, that photo was taken when the Earth was still only partially built. You know, like the Deathstar. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/23 "2013-02-25T17:19:36Z")
> [@wolfstu](#): > > Near the top Centre of the lit portion of the Earth, I’m pretty sure part of South America is visible. North America is over the horizon, and Iberia is obscured by cloud. I think you’re right that that is South America, the southern tip visible between 12:30 and 1:00. Knowing where to look from there, the Antarctic Peninsula is is also visible at about 11 O’clock. It’s not just clouds. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/24 "2013-02-25T17:28:23Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > [Here](http://www.worldmapsonline.com/images/moon_r3.gif) is another photo of the earth, and the stars are visible. Wow. Those stars are so powerful, they can shine through the mass of the Earth! (In case I am being too subtle: there appear to be stars directly below the illuminated hemisphere of Earth – where presumably there should be only blackness, since the rest of the plant is there, unlit.) ETA: not the first to make this observation, I see. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/25 "2013-02-25T17:30:17Z")
That picture was taken right about at the winter solstice, so the South Pole would be well into the lit portion of the Earth, and the North Pole would be well into the unlit side. Based on that, I’d have to say that it’s Antarctica on the upper left, which corresponds to what ZenBeam and wolfstu are saying. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/26 "2013-02-25T17:42:37Z")
OK, I just fired up Google Earth and got the same perspective as in the photo. The South Pole is at the upper left. The land mass visible at the lower left is the western shore of southern Africa. The land mass at the lower right is far west Africa. South America should be well-visible towards the upper right, but it’s obscured by clouds. The place on the ocean where you see sunlight reflecting is really close to the east edge of Brazil. The southern tip of South America would be way over, at about 11:00 in the photo. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/27 "2013-02-25T19:03:36Z")
I’ve argued that that particular photo was influential in the way the Earth has been portrayed from space. [http://www.teemings.net/series\_2/issue\_02/clouds\_in\_their\_heavens.html](http://www.teemings.net/series_2/issue_02/clouds_in_their_heavens.html) Prior to that, the Earth was usually shown cloudless, and often _with clouds extending into space_. People who were acquainted with science (and science fiction) knew better – look at _Destination Moon_, or Chesley Bonestell paintings, or a lot of SF magazine art. But in moost popular depictions there are no clouds at all – even in SF movies until the early 1960s (think _Tbhis Island Earth_ or _Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea_, or even the Heinlein-scripted _Operation Moonbase_) I don’t think it’s because people were stupid – by the 1960s you could see daily weather photos from satellites on the nightly news. But I suspect movie-makers were afraid people wouldn’t recognize the earth unless it looked globe-like, _sans_ clouds. The Apollo photos changed that, especially the “Earthrise” photos. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/28 "2013-02-25T19:27:24Z")
Why the hell couldn’t those astronauts have gone to the Moon on a clear day? Damned inconsiderate if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/29 "2013-02-25T19:32:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Why the hell couldn’t those astronauts have gone to the Moon on a clear day? Damned inconsiderate if you ask me. Just be grateful they went during the day. If they went at night, it’d be too dark to see _anything_. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/30 "2013-02-25T19:47:36Z")
[Here](http://lookingcloser.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2001-starchild.jpg) is a shot from _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (which was filmed from [Dec '65 to July '66](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/business) with lots of clouds. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/31 "2013-02-25T20:08:19Z")
Yep. And your point is? I already said that you had clouds in Chesley Bontell paintings and _Destination Moon_ from the 1950s. Heck, you arguably had clouds over the earth in the _Rite of Spring_ sequence in _Fantasia_ from 1940. The thing is, these were the exceptions, by people who knew the truth and weren’t fazed by thoughts of confusing the audience. By far the bulk of shots of the earth showed it cloudless, or with “Space Clouds”, as in the 1936 film _the Invisible Ray_ or _The Flying House_ or even in _Star Trek_’s "Miri. But ever since those pictures – made famous on magazine covers, wall posters, and the like, the standard view of earth from space now requires clouds. (Except for the Universal logo – that remains steadfastly cloud-free, for some reason) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/32 "2013-02-25T20:19:04Z")
Even worse, considering how iconic and overall good the fil m is, consider the 1951 _The Day the Earth Stood Still_. If you watch the credits sequence, as you approach the earth, mot only is the earth apparently cloud-free, but _you pass through clouds going from the Moon to the Earth_. They’re superimposed on the film shot that closes on on the Earth from the Moon, and it’s clear that you’re supposed to be passing through clouds. What makes it worse is that, as the shot (clearly supposed to be Klaatu’s ship"s Point of View) comes in close to mthe earth, it passes through real shots of clouds. So where were those in the long shots? ---
**Author:** ![Bones\_Daley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/33 "2013-02-25T20:39:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > By far the bulk of shots of the earth showed it cloudless, or with “Space Clouds”, as in the 1936 film _the Invisible Ray_ or _The Flying House_ or even in _Star Trek_’s "Miri. > But ever since those pictures – made famous on magazine covers, wall posters, and the like, the standard view of earth from space now requires clouds. (Except for the Universal logo – that remains steadfastly cloud-free, for some reason) Clouds …gotta love 'em …sometimes I think that they look like rows and flows of angel hair …other times, don’t they just look like ice-cream castles in the air ? But realistically, at the end of the day, they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone … ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/34 "2013-02-25T20:44:37Z")
> [@Bones\_Daley](#): > > Clouds …gotta love 'em …sometimes I think that they look like rows and flows of angel hair …other times, don’t they just look like ice-cream castles in the air ? > > But realistically, at the end of the day, they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone … Yes, but since we’ve been to the Moon, we’ve looked at them from both sides now. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/35 "2013-02-25T20:46:54Z")
And I have to admit that, never having studies meteorology, I’m not sufficiently familiar with what causes the various types of clouds or under what conditions they’ll produce rain, or snow, or sleet. I have to admit that I really don’t know clouds at all. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/36 "2013-02-25T21:27:58Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > (Except for the Universal logo – that remains steadfastly cloud-free, for some reason) Hollywood clouds are union. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/37 "2013-02-25T21:31:56Z")
I have no idea what space clouds are supposed to be. Can someone link to a picture? ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/38 "2013-02-25T21:33:08Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Nasa faked the existance of Earth. LOL. Damn, they’re good! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/39 "2013-02-25T21:43:51Z")
Wow. I just realized that if you look at the original closely, you can see the grassy knoll. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249/40 "2013-02-25T22:34:07Z")
> [@Bones\_Daley](#): > > Clouds …gotta love 'em …sometimes I think that they look like rows and flows of angel hair …other times, don’t they just look like ice-cream castles in the air ? > > But realistically, at the end of the day, they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone … LOLOLOL, you win the thread! ~VOW [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-earth-rise-photo/651249.md?page=3)