Lifeforms created Earth’s atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide and generating free oxygen. Flickr, CC BY-SAįrom space, we observe the thin shield provided by our atmosphere, allowing life to flourish on the surface of our planet. ‘Spaceship Earth’ became a powerful rallying cry for environmental groups. One (Lunar Orbiter I, 1966) turned its camera across a sliver of the Moon’s surface and found the Earth, rising above it. Russia’s Sputnik spurred the United States to launch a series of satellites - watching the enemy and the weather - and then NASA turned its attention to the Moon, launching a series of exploratory probes.

As we grew from hot-air balloons to space shuttles, the camera has been there for much of the ride.Īfter WWII, the US military used captured V-2 rockets to launch motion-picture cameras out of the atmosphere, producing the first images of Earth from space. Anders may have produced an image that radically shifted our view of ourselves, but we were ready to see it. Although, in 1968, the photograph seemed revelatory and unexpected, it belongs to an extraordinary history of representing the Earth from above. RMIT University provides funding as a strategic partner of The Conversation AU.Įarthrise is a testament to the extraordinary capacity of human perception. Monash University and University of Melbourne provide funding as founding partners of The Conversation AU. Ruth Morgan receives funding from the Australian Research Council.Ĭolleen Boyle, Jenny Gray, Lynette Bettio, Rachel Webster, and Simon Torok do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Julie Arblaster receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Professor of Physics, The University of Melbourne Senior Advisor, Learning and Teaching, RMIT UniversityĬhief Executive Officer - Zoos Victoria, The University of Melbourne Honorary Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne

Live picture of earth from space