Comments on: Wallpaper: Looking Back at Earth http://wanderingspace.net/2007/02/wallpaper-lunar-look-back/ Imaging the bodies of our Solar Sysytem Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:53:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: thomas http://wanderingspace.net/2007/02/wallpaper-lunar-look-back/#comment-165 thomas Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:09:16 +0000 http://wanderingspace.net/?p=226#comment-165 oh yeah… that wallpaper (meaning real wallpaper on an actual wall) is altogether silly. scale and shadow… all wrong. i looked at that for 10+ years always thinking how overwhelming that would be to see earth that large in the sky. ha. oh yeah… that wallpaper (meaning real wallpaper on an actual wall) is altogether silly. scale and shadow… all wrong. i looked at that for 10+ years always thinking how overwhelming that would be to see earth that large in the sky. ha.

]]> By: Paul Neave http://wanderingspace.net/2007/02/wallpaper-lunar-look-back/#comment-164 Paul Neave Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:01:24 +0000 http://wanderingspace.net/?p=226#comment-164 It's a great shot -- if you look at the Earth closely you can just about make out a muddy-brown Australia amid the Pacific Ocean. It's also striking to see how black the night side of the Earth is, just like when we look up at the moon we rarely see the dark side of it. Most computer-generated shots always over compensate and brighten up the dark side (or show yellow street lights) to make it look more whole, but in reality it's just as dark as the night sky, so we see a crescent Earth. Oh and the shadow on your wallpaper image is in the completely wrong position, it's covering the south pole! Silly artists... It’s a great shot — if you look at the Earth closely you can just about make out a muddy-brown Australia amid the Pacific Ocean.

It’s also striking to see how black the night side of the Earth is, just like when we look up at the moon we rarely see the dark side of it. Most computer-generated shots always over compensate and brighten up the dark side (or show yellow street lights) to make it look more whole, but in reality it’s just as dark as the night sky, so we see a crescent Earth.

Oh and the shadow on your wallpaper image is in the completely wrong position, it’s covering the south pole! Silly artists…

]]> By: thomas http://wanderingspace.net/2007/02/wallpaper-lunar-look-back/#comment-163 thomas Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:35:24 +0000 http://wanderingspace.net/?p=226#comment-163 I was thinking 4x as large as I remember that is the Earth to moon size ratio, but i wasn’t sure and didn’t have time to fact check as I was going out the door to bring my daughter to dance class. Human activities… you know. Naturally if the moon is 4x smaller than Earth, then Earth would appear 4x larger than the moon does here, when standing on the moon. Perception in funny too though… the moon seems bigger to look at with your eyes, but when you notice it in regular pictures it seems to be so much smaller than in does in your mind’s eye. I was thinking 4x as large as I remember that is the Earth to moon size ratio, but i wasn’t sure and didn’t have time to fact check as I was going out the door to bring my daughter to dance class. Human activities… you know. Naturally if the moon is 4x smaller than Earth, then Earth would appear 4x larger than the moon does here, when standing on the moon.

Perception in funny too though… the moon seems bigger to look at with your eyes, but when you notice it in regular pictures it seems to be so much smaller than in does in your mind’s eye.

]]> By: Gordan http://wanderingspace.net/2007/02/wallpaper-lunar-look-back/#comment-162 Gordan Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:31:23 +0000 http://wanderingspace.net/?p=226#comment-162 Yeah, I'm very fond of those look-back-at-Earth images myself. It appears small in normal photographs, but you know it's 4 times the diameter of a full moon. And much, much brighter. Normal cameras just can't capture that. They do capture the insignificance of our planet very well, though. Also it must have felt weird to be that far from your home world to the astronauts. Amazing When you realize that New Horizons is about to pass by Jupiter and just outside of Callisto's orbit you'd think Jupiter would look enormous in its windshield. It's actually going to be only as large as a golf ball held at arm's length - not THAT impressive when you consider how big of an impact on the trajectory it will get. Yeah, I’m very fond of those look-back-at-Earth images myself. It appears small in normal photographs, but you know it’s 4 times the diameter of a full moon. And much, much brighter. Normal cameras just can’t capture that. They do capture the insignificance of our planet very well, though. Also it must have felt weird to be that far from your home world to the astronauts. Amazing

When you realize that New Horizons is about to pass by Jupiter and just outside of Callisto’s orbit you’d think Jupiter would look enormous in its windshield. It’s actually going to be only as large as a golf ball held at arm’s length - not THAT impressive when you consider how big of an impact on the trajectory it will get.

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