Our planet, in a different light
A remarkable view of Earth, assembled from satellite observations. A reminder to look beyond the boundaries.
· NASA Image and Video Library
This image is a composite, not a single photograph. NASA’s Blue Marble view combines observations made by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, aboard the Suomi NPP satellite.
The image was assembled from data collected over four satellite orbits in January 2012 and projected onto a globe. North America and the Western Hemisphere dominate this particular view.
The distinction matters: a satellite composite can reveal the planet in extraordinary detail, but it should not be mistaken for a live view or a photograph of one moment. Here, it is presented as archival science imagery, with its original source and date.
For a publication looking at India and the wider world, the image offers a useful starting point: take a wider view, ask how an image was made, and keep the evidence within reach.