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Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space

nasa.gov — The International Space Station is seen from Space Shuttle Atlantis as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation.

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  • bamafun, on 02/24/2008, -4/+18I really enjoy your submissions ! Always great content ! =)
    • Tunguska, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1this reminds me of the spam I get on my blog.
  • Fortyseven, on 02/24/2008, -2/+18Gorgeous.
  • queenmoweeny, on 02/24/2008, -4/+12I absolutely LOVE pictures about space! Thanks for sharing!
    • JulyZerg, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2Same! Space is awesome!
    • topgigmedia, on 02/24/2008, -0/+3This is not a plug or SPAM - I promise! You just mentioned that you love pictureas about space. I just finished up a slideshow on the history of the space shuttle that Discvery.com and NASA.gov are going to run soon on their websites. Here is a sneak-peak http://switchyardmedia.com/dev/discovery/nasa/slid ...
      • topgigmedia, on 02/24/2008, -0/+2I should add that all of the photos in the slideshow were provided by NASA
    • Pilot85, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1...
  • Proctor, on 02/24/2008, -19/+2Space isn't black.
    • sgtbutterscotch, on 02/24/2008, -6/+3The color of the universe is beige...but you are wrong.
    • Godlike, on 02/26/2008, -0/+1Then what is it, wise ass?
  • merlinxlr, on 02/24/2008, -3/+7Wow.
  • Georgy, on 02/24/2008, -5/+19Puts things into perspective,how insignificant we really are......
    • Vostok, on 02/24/2008, -1/+29This may sound odd but we are tied with seagulls for most successful species on the planet. Only humans and seagulls live on all seven continents and they can eat our garbage. Perhaps they will win.
    • icculus87, on 02/24/2008, -6/+3I have a different reaction. In our own scale we are not petty. I see this as wow, we rock. Look what we can do!
    • Larz0rz, on 02/24/2008, -0/+2Yeah, I wish I was an astronaut too...
    • JulyZerg, on 02/24/2008, -10/+4And to think some "god" created us in the very centre of it, and made everything revolve around us! I love being a good slave to religion!
      • melonade, on 02/24/2008, -0/+7What time period are you from???
      • StolenLamp, on 02/24/2008, -0/+4You just took a huge ***** on the mood of these posts. I very much dislike you.
  • antonio97b, on 02/24/2008, -2/+12Can someone please tell me why there are no stars in space pictures? It is a question that has been puzzling me for years.
    • doombot, on 02/24/2008, -0/+4Here's a good explanation:

      http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html# ...
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -1/+17Essentially, the sun makes objects so bright that in order to not have them over exposed you need to dramatically decrease your exposure time. Because stars are so much dimmer, they don't show up. Unless you are specifically exposing a shot for a star field, you'll never see stars in a space image (i.e., shots from the moon, shots of space station, shuttle, etc.).
    • Thumper13, on 02/24/2008, -0/+20Simple answer: Too much contrast between the earth and the darkness of space for the camera to pick up the stars.

      It's simple photography really. Conspiracy nutters like to use this one as proof that all of our space stuff is fake.
      • stilesja, on 02/24/2008, -0/+5Well how convenient for you "space nutters" that a simple concept of photography allows you to produce your fake space photos so much more easily. lol
        • chromerium, on 02/24/2008, -0/+10yeah! obviously this photo is fake. Looks like a 3d render to me.

          Don't get me started on the moon mission either. What a load of crap! landed on the moon. Huh! In fact I don't think we've ever had space technology to get into orbit, let alone the moon! These satellites they talk about are just hoaxes, everything is done with very high flying airplanes. But they have to be careful not to fly off the edge of the world.

          There be dragons ...
    • brucerchapman, on 02/24/2008, -5/+1You don't even need to understand photography. What you have to understand is that you are looking at a daylight photo. You can't see stars in daylight - even the craziest conspiracy nutter will agree with you on that one. Your confusions comes from the way that you associate daylight with a blue sky because you've seen it every day since you were born. Only from within the atmosphere is daylight blue. In space it's black because there is no atmosphere. So your question really is 'why can't I see stars in the daylight'. The answer: because the sun is brighter than them.
      • tschau, on 02/24/2008, -0/+6This is a really bad analogy. On earth, you cannot see the stars either with a camera or the naked eye during the day. In space, with the naked eye, you would be able to see the stars still. The answer is purely one of exposure times and aperture for cameras.
    • nullcodes, on 02/24/2008, -2/+7No disrepect intended, but I genuinely want to know .. With google and other search engines being around for years, how can you have such a simple question puzzle you for years?

      I couldn't find a credible keyword search to answer that question on google that does not reveal the answer on the top hits.
      • harveywalbanger, on 02/24/2008, -2/+0What puzzles me nullcodes is how you type without a brain. You don't know anything without doing a Google search first? You really are a completely clueless imbecile.
        Antonio the answer is because the light coming in from the sun overpowers light from the stars. OR so nullcodes can understand too without a Google search - "Ugh! Gunga think light too bright."
    • DaviDTC, on 02/24/2008, -6/+1For the same reason the moon videos and pictures dont have stars in them, cause we have never been there. This whole ISS and space shuttle thing is false too.
  • bedake, on 02/24/2008, -2/+6My new wallpaper.
  • colosis, on 02/24/2008, -2/+9COOL-SPACE-PICTURES-FROM-NASA section please!
  • Mrdudeperson, on 02/24/2008, -13/+2This is why we need someone to build a commercial Linux based spacecraft, so people can go to space and experience this kind of thing.
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -0/+13What the hell are you talking about? Do you think the shuttle is running on Windows? The computers are from the 70s. The Space Shuttle is 40 year-old technology.
  • notahappycamper, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1dugg for the backdrop of the earth's horizon...
  • ThatGeek, on 02/24/2008, -2/+3welcome to my background!
  • ligyron, on 02/24/2008, -11/+2Just another picture of Earth. What's special about this one?
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -6/+2There is a NASA picture of the day fad going through Digg. Give it a week or so.
      • lendaddy, on 02/24/2008, -1/+7Just another comment on Digg. What's special about this one?
  • Qtip42, on 02/24/2008, -5/+8*right click* *Set as Desktop Background*
    • *jooloop*, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1*Command click* *Use Image as Desktop Picture*
      • GunDownCCL, on 02/24/2008, -0/+3*Click Reply* Comment unnecessary.
  • dangerdooms, on 02/24/2008, -5/+0Wow, gorgeous. I'd use it as my background but I still have that CDG of Colbert from yesterday! ^.^
  • thecoldfunk, on 02/24/2008, -1/+12Does anyone know which mountain range is behind the station?
    • ThE0eNiGmA, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1I was thinking of the same question. Try as I might I couldn't identify it. Anybody else care to try?
    • HiKevinRose, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1My question is from what was the picture taken? It seems odd to have another piece of equipment just floating a few hundred feet from the ISS.
      • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -0/+4This picture was taken from a window on the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it left the International Space Station on its way back to Earth.
        • HiKevinRose, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Oooh, cool. Thanks!
        • 3uphoria, on 02/24/2008, -0/+7Somebody should have reminded them
          Earth is the other way
    • 471776, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1I wanna go with Caucasus, in southwest Asia (south of Russia, north of Iran and Turkey). But that's just a guess.
  • LanceStallion, on 02/24/2008, -2/+46No wait! The guy on Iraqi TV said yesterday the earth was flat!
    • krisscofield, on 02/24/2008, -5/+1lol whut
    • TomTruelle, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1nah, the other guy disproved it with his book on science...
  • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -12/+3I see you've been trying quite hard to get these space station pics to the front page. You've got three submissions of the space station within 10 minutes all against different backgrounds, and with the same title ("Backdropped by..." and exact same description " The International Space Station is seen from Space Shuttle Atlantis as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation.". I enjoy a nice NASA pic as much as the next guy, but, it's a little desperate, no?
  • Qtip42, on 02/24/2008, -7/+3If you look towards the mid bottom right corner, you'll see a missile headed straight for it.....
  • doombot, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2Anyone care to venture a guess as to where on earth that is? Those mountain ranges running vertically seem pretty distinct, but I can't figure out where they would be.
    • tschau, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Keep in mind that we don't know north/south here.. that definitely makes it harder to guess. I'd like to know too though.
    • bmarc, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1if we knew the approx date it was taken we could figure out the hemisphere (maybe?)
  • macweirdo42, on 02/24/2008, -0/+35Damn, that is a sweet Earth!
  • ctrlfreak13, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2I think I can see the reflection of the inside of the space shuttle from the glass in front of the camera...
    • wafflesomd, on 02/24/2008, -0/+2Yah, there a ring type objects in the reflection.
    • maharius, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2Damn, you'd think they'd have opened the window for a shot like that
      • melonade, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1It's a great picture, but I dunno if it would be worth dying in the vacuum of space.
      • SGIsus, on 02/24/2008, -0/+2I think he was being sarcastic...
  • wafflesomd, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Stunning.
  • aceakm, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1I wish I could be an astronaut for the weekend and travel to the moon.
  • starkes, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2we should keep taking pictures so we remember how big continents used to be.
  • beefchi, on 02/24/2008, -1/+2i wonder how big that satellite is... a comparison to something would be cool
    • zephyear, on 02/24/2008, -0/+6Mass: 245,735 kg
      (540, 617lb)
      (2008-02-15)
      471,736 kg (1,040,000 lb) upon completion [1]
      Length: 58.2 m (191 ft)
      along truss
      (2007-02-22)
      Width: 44.5 m (146 ft)
      from Destiny to Zvezda
      73.15 m (240 ft)
      span of solar arrays
      (2007-02-22)
      Height: 27.4 m (90 ft)
      (2007-02-22)
      Living volume: 424.75 m³
      (15,000 ft³)

      from wikipedia
    • afidler, on 02/24/2008, -2/+3that's no satellite...it's a space station.
      • hbeierg, on 02/24/2008, -1/+6yes but anything in orbit is technically satellite. even the Moon
        • afidler, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1yes i know, but have you ever seen star wars?
  • D4M4N, on 02/24/2008, -2/+0hey look i can see the guy from you suck at photoshop making video number 8
  • markp93, on 02/24/2008, -3/+1ufo.
  • GuacamoleSan, on 02/24/2008, -1/+7This is a crowning achievement of human engineering
  • borez, on 02/24/2008, -0/+5What do you mean there's no Internet up here?
  • tublo, on 02/24/2008, -0/+0Does anyone know where on Earth is under the space station?
    • da233, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Uh...yeah... the space station is in an orbit, just like all satellites in space. The ISS circles Earth many times a day.
    • melonade, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Once every 90 minutes. Which means that, at an altitude of 215 miles, it should be traveling at about 17,501 mph. 23 times the speed of sound.
  • lpommers, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1that's my new desktop background, sick picture
  • nroose, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1That is a nice pic.
    But doesn't it seem funny that all of the solar panels are pointed in different directions? Shouldn't they all be pointed at the sun?
    • zephyear, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1they are pointed at the sun

      the ones on the left are aimed directly at it and the ones on the right are tilted left, i imagine if they turned the ones on the right all the way to the left the actual space station would block a lot of the sun
    • theProducer, on 02/24/2008, -0/+0They have problems with pointing some solar panels towards the sun because one of the motors that's supposed to rotate the solar panels is malfunctioning (I think it's the one on the left hand side).
  • DiggLive, on 02/24/2008, -0/+6Flat Earthers just got PWNED!
    • JavertHolmes, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1You joke, but...

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehWv_qlKxSg

      Somewhere out there, Magellan is flipping in his two-dimensional grave.
      • JavertHolmes, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Sorry, "flipping" should be "rotating."

        oblig. xkcd/386
      • weyr, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1I was watching that video and asking myself if there were people actually that ignorant in the world, how do you have a two minuet debate on whether the world is round or flat......
  • ThankTheCheese, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1I have a genuine question: how do they get the space stations up there?

    Given the shape, with all the stuff handing off it etc, I can't imagine when they launched it into space it looked like that, otherwise pieces would fall off as it climbs through the sky. So I wonder if all the parts hanging off it collapse into a capsule shape so that they are more aerodynamic when being launched, or are these parts added after the fact by space missions post the initial launch?
    • zephyear, on 02/24/2008, -0/+5they launch each piece one by one like the way they are

      solar arrays are closed and then deployed once connected to the station
    • shadowblade989, on 02/24/2008, -0/+3Each module is loaded in the back of a shuttle and its assembled in space. Solar panels are folded up. It doesn't need to be aerodynamic because there is no air in space. The station first started as one "small" tube-like structure and one set of solar panels.
    • sgiffy, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Some are carried up in the shuttle. For example Atlantis was delivering a new science module. Its one of the can like things.
    • wellyuk, on 02/24/2008, -0/+3Space cranes.
    • ThankTheCheese, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1thanks guys :) lean something new every day.
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1They have been constructing the International Space Station for over a decade. Each module is brought up into space one at a time by either the Space Shuttle or a Russian rocket (such as the Soyuz). The astronauts then go out and hook up the new module to what exists already. They can then unfurl the solar arrays to provide new power to the module.

      The shuttle will be discontinued in two years. No other heavy lift craft exists like the Shuttle, so, they must finish the Space Station by then. The new craft, the Orion, will work in a similar way. The crew and the craft will be launched separated, join together in orbit, then make their way to the moon. Missions to mars will require the launch of at least 5 ship components.
  • evdogg, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1dude... space is awesome
  • JavertHolmes, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1I am absolutely floored by that photo. Seeing it, I realize how truly infinitesimal all our hopes, dreams, and fears are. All the generations of religious and political warfare over something that appears to be nothing but a scrap of land to a satellite but a few thousand feet up. If only we could pull our collective heads out of our asses and always keep this view of our planet in context in our daily lives. It silences me.

    That is, until I realize that somewhere down there, someone on the internet is WRONG -- most likely having their wrongness PROPAGATED via SATELLITE.
  • wellyuk, on 02/24/2008, -5/+5Incredible.. another opportunity to see God's majesty.
    • JavertHolmes, on 02/24/2008, -1/+3And to think that on the other side of that Earth it's nothing but turtles all the way down.
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -2/+5Or another opportunity to see science's continuing march toward the irrelevancy of faith. Either way.
    • wellyuk, on 02/24/2008, -1/+6Yes indeed.. I just feel shivers down my back when His Noodly Appendage makes it's presence known like this.

      Pasta be thy name,

      Ramen.
    • MrObjectional, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Comment dugg b/c I don't bury people with different opinions.

      Only the annoying comments.
  • skull24, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1The Earth is not flat?
  • myfriendbrenn, on 02/24/2008, -1/+0I'd hate to have vertigo.
  • yueyintaba, on 02/24/2008, -11/+0This is a crowning achievement of human engineering ! By the way, i'm a rich woman and recently signed up on SugarmommaMeet.com in hope to find a male sugar baby..you may want to talk with me under the name shandoris there...
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1Shut up, bitch. No one wants to hear about your desperate plea for *****.
      • Wartz, on 02/24/2008, -0/+3most diggers(not the submitters) are in a paradox here, their absolute hate of spam conflicting with their absolute need for vagina to stick their ***** in.
  • afidler, on 02/24/2008, -1/+3There was a much better photo of the ISS just the other day on digg:
    http://digg.com/space/NASA_STS_122_Astronauts_Gran ...
    still, I'm digging this because anything that deals with the ISS is awesome.
  • HHP2K, on 02/24/2008, -2/+2We are so incredibly insignificant.
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1We are just specks on a rock hurtling through a vast, dark, cold void.
    • supermanred, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Speak for yourself. I think we are incredibly significant. We built that thing, you know?
  • humboldt79, on 02/24/2008, -1/+6Hal, please open the pod bay doors.
  • acidwire90, on 02/24/2008, -2/+1What I'd give to see that IRL
  • stavrogin2, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1It's quiet. Too quiet.
  • avenu420, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1why is this image so pixelated?
  • hansolo007, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Could you add more solar panels?
    • catachip, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Well, if the U.S. wasn't such pussies about putting nuclear reactors into space then we would solve all of these problems, including the issue of getting to Mars. But alas, we must depend on massive, football fields of solar panels to eek whatever amps and volts we can muster from the rays of the sun. Yes, we're dependent on a technology that completely fails when a shadow falls onto it.
  • JohnnyHotballs, on 02/24/2008, -1/+1how much weed can you grow in space
  • albertross, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1great picture but please don't just give the jpg url
    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station ...
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