One of the science things to do on the International Space Station (ISS) is to take pictures of the Earth. By the way there are lots of science experiments going on in the ISS. Crew Earth Observations (CEO) has been on of the mainstay activities on the Station since Expedition 1. Windows in the Zveda module have been used by both Astronauts and Cosmonauts to gaze at the Earth below. Its through these windows that Astronauts have taken a hand operated digital camera and taken pictures on our planet's features. Regular featurres as well as disatster areas. Now days the astronauts can make use of the Cupola which is a domed window module (think Millennium Falcon from Star Wars).
This taking pictures of the Earth deal stunned the World back in Christmas 1968 when NASA showed the following photo on TV:
This is Earth Rise. NASA being a scientific, outward looking program made one of the most astonishing discoveries in the known universe, Earth. This photo gives an answer to the World what explorers and politicians and philosophers have questioned over centuries, what does the Earth look like and where are we?
Astronomy today, can only conclude that Earth is indeed part of the cosmos. Earth is one among many thousand planets out there. It cohabitates in a universe with stars, black holes, pulsars, nebulae, asteroids, comets, radiation, neutrinos, dark matter, dark energy, .....etc...etc. And it happens to be the only planet known to have life.
We are one one life boat floating through a galaxy and a universe. I will take us years, no, centuries to make Mars a thriving community of humans. Even if we do get Mars up and running will we take care of it any better than we have Earth? Let's look up for a while, and contemplate what we need to do to keep our life boat afloat. It's only all of civilization that's at stake.
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