A science blog with Eric Berger

Our world. Our atmosphere. Our moon.


There really are no words.

(Koichi Wakata/NASA)

Click for a larger view. (Koichi Wakata/NASA)



The lowest reaches of the atmosphere are red, because only the longest wavelengths of visible light, which are red, aren’t scattered by the dense air. The upper atmosphere, which is not at all dense, allows for the emission of even the shortest wavelengths of light, blue, indigo and violet.

It makes for a stunning portrait of our world.

Arigatō, Mr. Wakata.

Eric Berger

10 Responses

  1. Bill in Houston says:

    Arigato gozaimas!

  2. craig says:

    This picture also helps highlight how past the very thin atmosphere that protects life on Earth is black empty space where life as we know it can’t survive without a lot of artificial resource intensive help. You’d think knowing this would put all of us working to keep the status quo here on Earth form an ecological standpoint but things don’t seem to be working out that way because of perceived local and those “special” interests always getting in the way.

    • M4 says:

      Perhaps the special interests “working to keep the status quo” are their own worst enemies. After all, who scuttled nuclear power expansion in the 1970s, which would have done a lot to help reduce carbon emissions? Who has been so obstructionist toward transitional fossil-fuel projects that could help bridge the gap to more sustainable energy sources? Who has slanted debate toward “global” projects with dubious value and job-killing impact when better solutions focused on regional ecosystem improvement and increasing local resilience to weather, disease, etc., have proven value? Yep, the single-issue environmentalists, bureaucrats looking to expand regulatory powers, and Statists looking for any reason to centralize government control even more. “Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.”

    • craig says:

      M4 don’t forget about the profit motive oriented special interests. They not always, but the most of the time, don’t work for the best overall common good but only their own. The big bad governmental regulation you are talking about here is the only thing that stands a chance of keeping them in check. Need and example? Look no further than BP. The trouble is it is easier to see shorter term positives (more jobs and a boast to economic activity) from under regulated free markets but harder to understand the longer term downside (things like worker safety, food and general safety and environtal degredation) they often present.

    • hunter says:

      This photo shows us how amazing and resilient the atmosphere, like our biosphere, truly is.

  3. Jack says:

    Sadly, if you showed this photo to 100 people on the street, most of them would have no idea what they were looking at.
    That just shows how small the community of some sciences is.

  4. Glenn Beak says:

    “That’s no moon…”

  5. hunter says:

    Amazing- poetic and beautiful.

  6. StanleyS says:

    Nice photo, Eric.