| This mosaic shows images of Earth and the Moon
acquired by the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Spacecraft (NEAR) on January 23, 1998, 19
hours after the spacecraft swung by Earth on its way to the asteroid 433 Eros. Both Earth
and the Moon are viewed from above their south poles, a perspective not attainable from
either body because the Moon orbits high above Earth's equator. In the Earth image, the south pole is at the center and the continent of
Antartica is surrounded by sea ice and storm fronts. The red area at the upper right side
is desert and vegetation in Australia. Snow, ice, and clouds appear as subtly different
shades of white and light blue. The Moon's blandness, compared to Earth, arises from its
lack of an atmosphere, oceans, and vegetation. For viewing purposes, the Moon is shown
five times brighter than in reality |
