We’ve all seen images of Earth, so it’s a rare thing when a new image comes along and somehow makes us feel like we’re seeing it for the first time.
The image below was taken by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest weather satellite GOES-17 which was launched by NASA just three months ago.
The pictures were captured on 20th May and have only just been released to the public now.
While GOES-17 can take some pretty incredible pictures, the satellites primary function will be to monitor weather patterns and in particular help scientists down on the ground monitor natural disasters such as hurricanes, major storms and tornadoes.
The reason you can see the whole planet in such clarity is thanks to the fact that GOES-17 orbits at a distance of 22,300 miles above the equator.
In addition to the image above, the satellite was also able to capture this stunning sunset over the Western Hemisphere.
The good news that this is just the start of the images that will be beamed back to Earth. Currently the satellite is still undergoing calibration and maintenance to fix an issue with its cooling systems.
Once completed though GOES-17 will start constantly monitoring the Earth and in turn providing us with even more incredible views of the planet.
You can check out the NOAA’s entire library of satellite imagery/videos here and even see a live 3D globe of the planet using the latest imagery.