What the Astronaut saw.

[Octafish]

34. ''It was the only color we could see in the universe...''

Planet earth from beyond the far side of the moon.

Mankind's Rarest View: Earth from Afar

Space travelers recall what the planet looks like from above

By Seth Borenstein
AP, April 21, 2007

EXCERPT...

The first full view of Earth came from the moon-bound Apollo 8 during the waning days of a chaotic 1968. Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders put it in perspective in a documentary: “We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.”

Some of the photos Anders took were used on posters and pins on the first Earth Day in 1970. They’ve been “an environmental staple of Earth Days ever since,” said Denis Hayes, the first Earth Day coordinator.

For Earth Day this year — at a time when perhaps some perspective is needed — The Associated Press asked space travelers to recall what it’s like to see Earth from above:

“It was the only color we could see in the universe. ...

“We’re living on a tiny little dust mote in left field on a rather insignificant galaxy. And basically this is it for humans. It strikes me that it’s a shame that we’re squabbling over oil and borders.” — Bill Anders, Apollo 8, whose photos of Earth became famous.

CONTINUED...

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18202449/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/mankinds-rarest-view-earth-afar/#.VkuOinarTq4

Thank you, xocet, for the link to the High-Def Earth Viewing System. Incredible! There's gotta be a way to turn it into a screensaver...