Calling all Pink Floyd fans, NASA recently released the latest image of the dark side of the moon. The far side of the moon, which is not visible from Earth and is often referred to as the dark side of the moon, has been captured by NASA's aptly named EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) on board the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite.
The DSCOVR studies the solar wind (in layman's terms: space weather) so that NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Air Force can better predict weather from activities like solar flares. But a side benefit is the breathtaking images of Earth's surface that it snaps from its location about a million miles from Earth. The moon last month entered EPIC's frame and the spacecraft caught the moon's backside on camera. This is not the first image of the far side of the moon, which was captured by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft in 1959. Since then, several NASA missions have captured the moon's far side "in great detail," said NASA in a statement.
Michael Brown, an astronomer at Monash University, called the images "captivating." He told The Guardian, "It’s unusual because you need a spacecraft that has gone beyond the moon to get a picture of the moon like this ... We don’t normally get that perspective."
A million miles may sound far away, but it's much closer than the May 2008 image of the lunar far side, which was shot from 31 million miles away. “It is surprising how much brighter Earth is than the moon," said Adam Szabo, DSCOVR project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. "Our planet is a truly brilliant object in dark space compared to the lunar surface.”
If you're wondering why we can't ever see the far side of the moon, it's because "the same side of the moon always faces an earthbound observer because the moon is tidally locked to Earth," explains NASA.
Once EPIC begins regular observations next month, NASA will provide daily color images of Earth. These images, showing different views of the planet as it rotates through the day, will be available 12 to 36 hours after they are acquired.
And just like with the "Blue Marble" image of Earth that grabbed everyone's attention last month, President Obama tweeted this image, too:
Pretty incredible time lapse of the dark side of the moon passing Earth from @NASA. American ingenuity at work! pic.twitter.com/JKep9bcxGQ
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 5, 2015
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Politicians, Stop ‘Cherry-Picking Science’ for Political Gain
Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!