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NASA Releases Flip Side of High-Res Earth Image

New 'Blue Marble' image focuses on eastern hemisphere

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 4, 2012 9:51 AM CST

(Newser) – NASA released its 2012 version of the "Blue Marble" image of earth from space last month, and it went viral in a hurry. What to do for an encore? Show the other side. The first image focused on the western hemisphere. Citing huge demand, NASA this week released a companion image that focuses on the eastern hemisphere. It's a composite image, and Wired has the particulars of how this new shot came to be.

This Blue Marble image focuses on the eastern hemisphere. NASA released it this week. (Flickr)

This one, released last month, shows the western hemisphere. (AP Photo/NASA)

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Showing 3 of 7 comments

bewilderbeast

Feb 7, 2012 7:30 AM CST

Better. The real "Blue Marble" picture ALWAYS has Africa in it :-)

Itchywolf

Feb 4, 2012 10:05 PM CST

Pretty sure that's sarcasm J.R., but yes, it's shopped. If you read the wired article you'd know the image was put together using images stitched together from 6 different orbits, the 4 streaks are actually the reflections of the sun, which were in different positions during those orbits.

J.R.Axle

Feb 4, 2012 2:06 PM CST

Shopped! - you can totally see 4 vertical streaks -fingerprints? next time don't use so much flash on the marble. Amateurs.

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NASA Releases Flip Side of High-Res Earth Image

New 'Blue Marble' image focuses on eastern hemisphere

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

NASA • space • Earth • Blue Marble

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