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February 13, 2005

Sunset from space

This is an astonishing photo, taken from on board the Columbia, of the earth at sunset. (Thanks, Mas!)


Micah Sifry, however, points out that Snopes says it's a phony. Damn truth! Always getting in the way of our fun!

Posted by D. Weinberger at February 13, 2005 11:44 AM


Comments

Sorry to be a party pooper, but it's not real.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/sunset.asp

Posted by: Michael | February 13, 2005 12:37 PM


If you had my 1994 CD-ROM 3D atlas, you could see a dynamic version of that effect to show day and night round the world.
Think about the exposure range needed for that to be a real picture...

Posted by: Kevin Marks | February 13, 2005 03:28 PM


Mmmhh - it's a nice picture, but its not real. Just look at the sea, it should show reflections of the sinking sun - and not geological underwater profiles.
If i am not wrong the image is created by John Walkers wonderful www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth

Posted by: Michael | February 13, 2005 08:39 PM


Nice work Scrivs and Co. Fantastic design.
auto news

Posted by: auto review | February 13, 2005 10:21 PM


Thanks Micah, Michael, Snopes, et al....
Bummer! Still, it is a cool picture and idea, even if it is a fake.

Further evidence: There really shouldn't be Rome-sized bright lights in that part of the Sahara.

Sorry, Dr. D!

Posted by: mas | February 14, 2005 09:37 PM


Real or not - the island in the upper left hand corner of the photo is not Greenland, but the island nation of Iceland.

Geography....

Posted by: Siegfried Ehrmann | August 17, 2005 09:02 PM


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