This image is one of the most widely known photographs of Earth, taken by the crew of the final Apollo mission (Apollo 17), as the the crew made its way to the Moon on Dec. 17, 1972. NASA writes of the photo “Dubbed the ‘Blue Marble,’ Earth is revealed as both a vast planet home to billions of creatures and a beautiful orb capable of fitting into the pocket of the universe.” (NASA)

At a Glance

The most widely-seen image of Earth from space was taken in 1972. Earlier images from space depicted Earthrise or sections of the planet, but "Blue Marble" was the first image of Earth as a globe sent from space.The view has a particular effect on astronauts who witness it in person.

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T​his Earth Day, celebrate and honor our planet by looking at it in all its glory — as a "blue marble" from space.

Earth from this vantage point first earned its nickname as the "blue marble" from the first photo many people saw of the Earth in its entirety from space. The portrait of Earth, taken in Dec. 1972 by NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt as the Apollo 17 crew made their way to the Moon, while not the first image of Earth sent from space, is still, to this day, . The image itself is often called "Blue Marble."

The image was taken to try to convey the poignant feeling most astronauts describe when viewing our globe from the vastness of space.

that, "Earth is revealed as both a vast planet home to billions of creatures and a beautiful orb capable of fitting into the pocket of the universe."

Bill Anders, who was among the first humans to orbit the moon along with Frank Borman and Jim Lovell aboard Apollo 8, , "We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."

M​any astronauts describe feeling more protective of our home and its fragile environment after witnessing the spectacular view. The feeling is called the "blue marble effect," or "the overview effect."

“It gives you a much different sense of the world in which we live, that geographical and political boundaries are really meaningless when you get into space," NASA historian Stephen Garber explains. “And I think that's part of what was so special about The Blue Marble photo.”

C​lick through the slideshow above to see images of the Earth from space from throughout history.

M​ORE FROM WEATHER.COM: This Is What The First Earth Day Looked Like

Earth Day is observed on April 22, 1970, in New York City. (Santi Visalli/Getty Images)

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