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International

The Earth

How 50 years of climate change has changed the face of the 'Blue Marble' from space

The "Blue Marble" was the first photograph of the whole Earth and the only one ever taken by a human. Fifty years on, new images of the planet reveal visible changes to the Earth's surface. Photography: NASA

"I'll tell you," said astronaut Harrison Schmitt as the Apollo 17 hurtled towards the Moon, "if there ever was a fragile-appearing piece of blue in space, it's the Earth right now".

It was Thursday 7 December 1972, that humanity got its first look at our planet as a whole. In that moment, the photograph "The Blue Marble" was taken – one which changed the way we saw our world.

"I can see the lights of southern California, Bob," said Schmitt to ground control about one and a half hours into the flight. "Man's field of stars on the Earth is competing with the heavens."

The crew of the Apollo 17 – commander Eugene Cernan, command module pilot Ronald Evans and lunar module pilot Harrison "Jack" Schmitt – were watching their home recede into the distance as they journeyed into space for the last manned mission to the Moon. [continue]