Blue Marble

I was listening to Writer's Almanac last night on the way home and the podcast was from December 7th. Garrison Keeilor talked about significant things that have occurred on December 7th. 

Of course he mentioned the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor back on December 7th 1941 which drew America into WWII. But he also mentioned the photograph taken by a NASA Astronaut on December 7th 1972.

Apollo 17 was the last manned lunar mission. No humans since have been at a range where taking a whole-Earth photograph such as The Blue Marble would be possible.

The photograph is a spectacular image of Earth. We've all seen the photograph thousands of times.  Contemplating this picture is a humbling experience. It was taken an a distance of about 18,000 miles away with the sun at the photographer's back which illuminates Earth in this stunning image.

Sometimes when I'm  getting too big for my britches, I look at this photograph which hangs on my office wall and it never fails to put me in my place.