If you were peering through a telescope, from the vicinity of the red planet Mars, you might see something like the image at left.
Earth was 88 million miles from Mars - nowhere near the closest possible distance between our two worlds - when the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this image.
Notice the clouds on the Earth image. NASA scientists say they could make out the west coast outline of South America at lower right, but I couldn’t see it. These scientists also pointed out that Earth’s clouds are so bright, in contrast to our dull gray moon, that the color image of Earth required a fair amount of processing to make a nice-looking release. The moon image has been brightened relative to Earth for this composite.
So that’s the Earth and moon from Mars. Want to see Mars with your own eyes from Earth? Try this chart.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Original source: Earth and moon seen from Mars from NASA
Here’s a neat Earth & Sky show also about the view from Mars:
Phobos and Deimos as seen from Mars
That is cool! Thanks!
Well it isn’t really is it? It is a composite enhanced picture,right? But can one infer that the day these pictures were taken it was a new moon or close to it as seen from earth?
Also It appears that the moon would not be visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
Hello Tom, the image is enhanced but I don’t think it’s a composite.
It’s pretty tough to draw conclusions about angles and distances in space based on a snapshot like this. And in fact on the day this picture was taken - October 3, 2007 - the moon was in a last quarter phase. Distances in space are vast. So if the moon were truly in front of the Earth, with respect to the light source (the sun), the moon’s distance from Earth would have to be be very small relative to the sizes of the Earth and moon. In fact, the moon’s distance is very great relative to the sizes of the Earth and moon. When viewing this image, you have to realize the three-dimensionality of it … and the fact that the moon is located farther away than Earth, in this image.
Make sense?
All best,
Deborah
Deborah: Thanks. I think it would be hard to jude that is why I asked but It certainly does not look like a full moon.
On the other issue I quote from the original post “The moon image has been brightened relative to Earth for this composite.” If it is not a composite, what does that sentence mean? Just wondering.
Tom, right you are. I hadn’t noticed that word. Here’s more information about this image.
Tom,
As Deborah states, the photo was taken on Oct. 3, 2007. Yes, the moon was in the vicinity of last quarter phase, at nearly 28 degrees north of the celestial equator. Therefore, all latitudes south of 62 degrees south latitude (90 - 28 = 62) could not see the moon, because the moon was below the horizon. On the other hand, at northern latitudes close to and north of the Arctic Circle, the moon stayed above the horizon for 24 hours a day, mimicking the Arctic midnight sun of summer!
Bruce
THESE IMAGES ARE VERY NICE.BUT I WONDER WHEN AND HOW CAN WE SEE MARS
I love the earth and sky website. There is alot of info here. Thanks for putting it together. Pam Bayers