Apollo 17 30th Anniversary: Saudi Arabia Zoom-out

  • Released Thursday, January 23rd, 2003
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:57PM
  • ID: 2681

The Apollo 17 spacecraft was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at midnight on December 7th, 1972. Just hours after lift-off, the command module aligned with the Earth and Sun, allowing the crew to photograph Earth in full light. The photo was taken at about 18,000 statute miles away from the Earth. Virtually every picture showing the full Earth is derived from this one photograph. Television, newspapers, websites, and marketing material have all used this photograph over the years. Geostationary weather satellites, Galileo, and many other spacecraft have returned great pictures of the full Earth from space, but this image is still the number one requested photo in the NASA photo archives.

Animation of the Apollo 17 full Earth photo. This animation starts tight on Saudi Arabia and slowly drifts back to reveal the rest of the globe.

Digital copy of the Apollo 17 full Earth photograph.

Digital copy of the Apollo 17 full Earth photograph.

Video slate image reads "Apollo 17: Saudi Arabia Zoom-outBeauty shot pull-out of the Apollo 17 earth image starting over Saudi Arabia and pulling out to reveal the rest of the globe".

Video slate image reads "Apollo 17: Saudi Arabia Zoom-out

Beauty shot pull-out of the Apollo 17 earth image starting over Saudi Arabia and pulling out to reveal the rest of the globe".

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

  • Animator

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