NASA Messenger leaves Earth behind

The Mercury-bound MESSENGER spacecraft captured several stunning images of Earth during a gravity assist swingby of its home planet on Aug. 2, 2005. Several hundred images, taken with the wide-angle camera in MESSENGER's Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS), were sequenced into a movie documenting the view from MESSENGER as it departed Earth.

Comprising 358 frames taken over 24 hours, the movie follows Earth through one complete rotation. The spacecraft was 40,761 miles (65,598 kilometers) above South America when the camera started rolling on Aug. 2. It was 270,847 miles (435,885 kilometers) away from Earth - farther than the Moon's orbit - when it snapped the last image on Aug. 3.

More MESSENGER videos at http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_missi...

• Category

  People & Blogs

[Joseph Galbo]

this begs to be given a rousing score.

[seandamian]

Oh give me a break! I know google earth when i see it !....NEXT!

..

[Joseph Galbo]

challenge that's not actually a challenge accepted. As soon as i get some time at work to do this it will happen.

[Jamey Jensen]

...in 12 seconds or less.