Apollo 17: The Blue Marble

The "Blue Marble" photo was taken around 5 hours and 6 minutes into the mission, less than two hours after Apollo 17 started its coast to the moon. The full magazine ("NN") of color photos taken onboard the command module during Earth orbit, translunar flight, and Lunar orbit is indexed here: Magazine NN Image Catalog.

This page contains a detailed timeline of the photos taken from the start of Translunar Injection (TLI) to the end of the first day.

Photo Summary

All times are MET. I've specified the photo's "Time" wherever my best estimate, based on the transcripts and mission timeline, should be within one minute either way. A single value is given for the "Time Range" when a specific frame is referenced in the transcript.

Translunar Injection

003:12:37 Cernan: The light is on and we have ignition.
003:15:07 Cernan: Okay, Houston, 2:30 - in the blind - we're still GO.
003:15:38 Cernan: Three minutes, and we are GO.

003:16:06 Cernan: Okay, 3:30 is GO. We have - 17 is GO at 3:30.
003:17:06 Cernan: Okay, Bob, 17 is GO at 4:30. You're still unreadable.
                   Obermeyer: Roger. How do you read me? You are GO, by the way.
                   Cernan: Okay, we got you that time. Understand we're GO on the ground,
                                   and we're still GO here, and we're TLI-ing right through sunrise.
                   Obermeyer: Understand.

Apollo 17 sunrise during translunar injection burn, frame #60 (AS17-148-22668) probably taken by Schmitt around 003:17:25 MET

"It was a beautiful burn, right through sunrise."
Apollo 17 sunrise during translunar injection burn, frame #60 (AS17-148-22668) probably taken by Schmitt around 003:17:25 MET

Apollo 17 post-maneuver fragments, frame #68 AS17-148-22675, probably taken by Evans around 003:37 MET

S-IVB Maneuver for Separation

003:34:10 Schmitt: Okay. We - we are maneuvering, Houston.
Evans: Now we've got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver.
Schmitt: There's a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there - Just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out Ron's window.
Evans: Yes. Now you can see some of them have shape. They're very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling.
Obermeyer: Roger. They look like fluid of some sort?
Evans: Not to me. They look like pieces of something. They're very bright.
Evans: Bob, for the most part, these fragments are not - or are tumbling at a very slow rate. I tried a couple of pictures of them - different settings. You may get an idea of what, at least, the patterns look like.
Obermeyer: Roger. I've got you. We're all ears on these fragments. Do you think you can figure out what they might be?
Evans: Well, you know I - I don't know. There are a number of possibilities. If you had some kind of a - I got the impression maybe they were curved a little bit, as if they might be - off the side of the S-IVB. And that's a wild guess - ice chunks, possibly. Or maybe there's paint coming off of it.

003:37:34 Obermeyer: Roger. I noticed on one trip up the elevator last week near one of the flags. I thought it was on the S-II, but it might have been on the S-IVB. Looked like it was peeling. Maybe that's what you've got.

003:37:45 Obermeyer: And the S-IVB maneuver is complete.
003:37:46++ Evans: Okay. And the - with the maneuver complete, the fragment field is essentially static, except for very slight tumbling within the fragments.

003:38:01 Evans: Every once in a while, a fragment of considerably higher velocity than the others goes across my window. But that' s very rare.
Evans: Hey, that's that field of view I saw out my window. Jack, do you see it now?
Schmitt: Yes.
Evans: And, Bob. At least, there - there's no apparent relative motion between fragments.


	#70 AS17-148-22677	#71 AS17-148-22678

Evans: I'll take two pictures about a minute apart if I can. And it'll be Frame 70.

Cernan: And, Bob. This is Geno. My impression is that they are - flat, flake-like particles. Some may be 6 inches across.

And, although there's no relative motion between the two, most of them seem to be twinkling. And I think, for the most part, they're all moving away from us.

Apollo 17 post-maneuver debris, frames #70 and #71 (AS17-148-22677 and 78), taken by Evans around 003:38 and 003:39 MET

S-IVB Separation and Transposition

Cernan: As soon as we turned around for docking I could see three of the four SLA panels tumbling slowly in space.

Evans: I never did see a SLA panel.

Evans: Okay, check the covers. Okay. And check the other ones off.

Schmitt: They're all ...

Evans: Okay, I'm going to start the - My gosh, look at the junk! Okay; there's 15 seconds. Pitch her up.

003:43:10 Evans: Okay, we've checked her out.
Cernan: Houston, we're right in the middle of a snowstorm.

Evans: We're not there yet. Long ways to go yet. It's on the other side of the Earth, if the simulator's any good.

003:43:58 Cernan: There goes another SLA panel, Houston, going the other way.

Docking

003:44:03 Schmitt: Hey, there's the booster!
Obermeyer: Roger. Bet you never saw the SLA panels on the simulator.

Cernan: No, but we've got the booster and is she pretty. Challenger's just sitting in her nest.

Cernan: And, Houston, some of the particles going by the window - were obvious enough - fairly obvious to me - paint.
Obermeyer: Okay. We'll buy that.

Cernan: I can't tell you too much, Bob, from the center seat other than Captain America is very intent on getting Challenger at the moment.
Obermeyer: Roger. I can believe that.

003:48:26 Evans: Yes, I'm coming in a little slow, but we've got plenty of time.

003:48:59 Cernan: Okay, Houston, While we're moving in here, I can see a few chunks of that flaky material, possibly paint, down in the SLA sort of bouncing around between the S-IVB and the LM.
Cernan: But, so far, LM looks very clean. Can't see anything abnormal from this view yet.
Schmitt: Isn't it, though? That thing is really stable out there.

003:51:20 Schmitt: Got one little chunk coming out - it just came out of the SLA, and it's spinning along the long axis, and it looks very stable.
Schmitt: Every once in a while, a small particle flies off of it though.
Obermeyer: How big of a chunk are you talking about, Jack?
Schmitt: Oh, I - reference to the thrusters, about the same diameter as the thruster on the LM. Schmitt: That's how long it was, and about - oh, a fifth that thick or that wide.
Schmitt: And I don't think - I don't think it's more than a quarter of an inch or maybe even less thick.
Cernan: That same particle, Bob, came by and as it went spinning, it was throwing off pieces of itself - radially out.
Obermeyer: Roger. We copy.

003:52:31 CDR: There's a small one come floating by and it looked like flakes. And I think I caught three of the four SLA panels going as we were maneuvering. I've got one out the hatch window now. It's quite a ways out.
Cernan: It's tumbling in all three axes.
Schmitt: And I saw the fourth one out my side, so we saw them all.
Schmitt: Area around the two spacecraft is cleaned up pretty well by now. There are just a few fragments moving around.
Evans: Now she's coming in.

003:54:58 Schmitt: Rover looks in good shape, so far.
Obermeyer: Roger, Jack. Can you see down on that quad? Is that what you're looking at?
Schmitt: Yes, I'm looking right at it. And I got a good view of the MESA top anyway. It's pretty well covered, but it looks all right also.
Schmitt: Ail the antennas look good; thruster quads all look great. I could see all four of them a minute ago.

Evans: Okay, about 10 feet there, Gene. Stand by for a ... on the barber pole.
Cernan: Okay.
Evans: All right; in good shape.

CMP: Okay, we're FREE; rates look pretty good. Let's lock it together.
003:57:03 CDR: MARK it. Stand by.

003:57:04 CMP: Here she comes.
003:57:10 CMP: Ka-chunk. My gosh!
003:57:13 CDR: Okay, Houston, ripple fire; but we still have number A barber pole.

004:09:46 LMP: And, Houston. While we're checking the integrity here, on Mag Alfa Alfa, there's about 50 percent.

004:14:56 + CC: And, 17. Just be advised, you're going to have an S-IVB nonpropulsive vent start 04:18:27. You've got about 3 minutes on that.
CDR: (Laughter) Okay. Thank you.

004:17:33 + CMP: Must be the nonpropulsive VENT that's banging. (Laughter) Here comes all the - look at all the stuff going again. It's really glowing.
LMP: Your nonpropulsive vent gives quite a glow.
CC: Roger, Jack.
CMP: It looks like a rainbow. Dark one.

004:39:23 CMP: Okay. We're 6 frames a second. Okay, what - what did ... RANGE ... Okay, I'll - I'll leave it at 10 feet and about an f - f/8. Okay, ... at set. Because I had that one to 0180 to 0.

S-IVB Separation and Maneuver for APS Burn

004:47:05 Evans: Okay. POWER's OFF. Hey, Jack. Hand me the Hasselblad. I think we're bowing the right direction. Yes, the Moon is there. The Earth is - that's the Earth.

004:48~ Evans: The Earth just fills up window 5. Okay, f infinity, about a 250th.

004:49~ Evans: We can give them a GO for yaw, can't we? We can see it now.
Cernan: Yes, we can see it. You've got the GO for the yaw... Looks like she came out of there clean as a whistle.

004:52:04 Schmitt: Hey, there it goes. Look at the aft fire of the thing.
Cernan: Yes, we can see it firing now.
Obermeyer: Roger, 17. Yaw maneuver started.

Schmitt:: The old S-IVB had a flare for the dramatic, but it certainly did its job for us.

Cernan: Okay. She's - as we're looking at it, she's pitching up. She was looking right at us - we were looking right at the dome - and now she's pitching up. The shroud around the IU seems to be totally intact. It - it looked like a super clean separation. I can't really see where there's any paint or anything externally chipped off the - the booster from here. We're beginning to - to pick up the bell. It's really a shame you don't have this - this whole thing on TV; it's really quite a sight. ... The Mylar and the gold coating on the inside of the shroud that's now visible is also intact. It looks like you could use it again if you could get it back.
Obermeyer: Well, it's got a Job to do when it hits the Moon yet.

Cernan: Okay, Bob. We've - we're almost looking at it broadside now. ... Okay. She's spitting a little; looks like the yaw maneuver may be complete.

Cernan: We got a - full view of the - entire J2 from here; and no kidding, Bob, the whole bird, the shroud at the top by the IU, the separation plane down by the S-II, from here all looks as clean as a whistle, all the way.
Obermeyer: Roger, Gene. If you're happy, we'd like a GO from you for the evasive burn.
Cernan: Let's get a picture or two here yet, and we'll give you a GO.

004:56:31
Cernan: Okay. You have a GO.
Schmitt [Cernan?]: And for your reference, at frame 105 I started a few 250-millimeter pictures of the S-IVB.
Obermeyer: Roger, Jack[Gene?]. [Note: Tech and PAO transcripts conflict]

Cernan: And, Bob, the entire sky, as far as I can make it out through the hatch window, is completely filled with our twinkling flakes.
Schmitt: I saw a couple particles go by the window a while back, and it looked a little bit like insulation in this - these particular case - styrofoam insulation, but in flat flakes. ... That was right after we separated from the S-IVB.

004:59:05 Cernan: Bob, I know - I know we're not the first to discover this- but we'd like to confirm, from the crew of America, that the world is round.

Obermeyer: Roger. That's a good data point. Have you gotten a good look at any of that weather down there on the Antarctic?
Cernan: Well, Ron's at window number 1 - maybe he can tell you a little about it.

Evans: You know, it's real funny there in Antarctica the - You can see the snow, but there isn't any weather at all in it. All of the weather's around it in the water.
Schmitt: That's where the moisture is. I don't know what to take a picture of.

Evans: It's in the Volkswagen pouch down there.
Schmitt: No, I'll change the lens now.

Evans: Here, Jack, can you see him good?
[Evans?]: Check the settings there. I took an f/22 stop.

005:05:00 Obermeyer: 17, Houston. The evasive burn is complete.
Schmitt: It's going to be gone, I think, before we see it.

Evans: Houston, magazine November November is on about 123 right now. [Note: actually 122]
005:08:14 Obermeyer: Okay, Ron. Magazine November November is on 123.

005:18:20 Cernan: Bob, Antarctica is what I would call effectively just a solid white cap down on the - South Pole. There's definite contact between the continent and the water. But, as Ron said, most of the clouds seem to be very artistic, very picturesque - some in clockwise rotating fashion but appear to be very thin where you can, for the most part, kind of see through those clouds to the blue water below. ... The continent - the continent itself is - is the same color as the clouds; but, of course, more dense - and striking difference than any of the other white background around because you can definitely see that contact with the water and with the clouds over the water.

005:20:36 Evans: Bob, and could you give us our distance from the Earth?
Obermeyer: 18,100, FIDO says.
Cernan: Okay. And I suppose we're seeing as 100 percent full Earth as we'll ever see; certainly as I've ever seen. It appears to be - it may be a little bit - a little bit of a terminator way out to the - well, to the east - out beyond Australia and beyond India. But beyond that it's about 99 percent pure.

Cernan: Bob, it's these kind of views - these kind of views that stick with you forever.

005:22:39 Cernan: We've got a - I guess probably the continent of Africa dominates the world right now. It's covering the - oh, the upper third - upper and western third of the - of the world. We can see the Sinai; we can see up into the Mediterranean; we can see across the Mediterranean, although we can't quite make out the countries up there; we can see across into India. I catch a glimpse of Australia out in the far horizon. Got Zanzibar on the southern tip of Africa, the Cape down there just almost directly below us. And, I don't know exactly how big Antarctica is, but I guess we can certainly see more than 50 percent of it. And - the rest of it is all ocean. The Indian Ocean out into the Pacific Ocean and back into the Atlantic Ocean. And for the most part relatively clear of clouds except in the Antarctica region, and up towards Europe which is - which is on the horizon, across the Mediterranean, it looks like there might be some clouds back up in that way. I probably - probably - well, not probably - I can make out the entire coast of Africa from Mediterranean around to the west, coming back to the south back where it takes its big dip to the east, back around the Cape, back around up through the Suez Canal, almost perfectly. ... And there's one batch of clouds in northern Africa, just a small batch, it looks like it may be up near the - well, no, it's not near the mouth of the Nile; it's quite a bit west of that, as a matter of fact, I can see the mouth of the Nile; I can see it running straight down towards us as it parallels the Suez and then sort of fades out into the central darker brown or darker green portions of Africa.

Obermeyer: Roger, Gene. Sure be nice to have that on TV, wouldn't it?
Cernan:: Boy, I'd love to give it to you; any way I could.

Cernan: You know - and there's no strings holding it up either. It's out there all by itself.

005:26:01 Obermeyer: Gene, looking at our plot board, you're directly over the southern tip of Africa or just slightly out in the Indian Ocean there, according to our plot board, which isn't exactly accurate all the time. But shortly you're going to start going backwards on the Earth here and head back across the Atlantic. That ought to be some sort of a first. You cross the Atlantic twice, going from west to east, and then, now you're going to cross it going from east to west here shortly. All in a very short span of time.
005:27:40 Cernan: Yes. I guess that does sound like a first.

Earth Observation on Translunar Coast

005:29:53 + Schmitt: Bob, I'm looking over Gene's shoulder here at the Earth, and it must be an awful clear day for the so-called convergence zone across Africa.

Gene, I think, indicated, as it looked to us as we crossed it earlier, most of Africa is clear. Only some - probably are broken and scattered clouds - cumulus in the east central portion that are running along the line of - north/south lines.

005:49:03 Schmitt: Bob, one of the things that we miss in our training is a good geography lesson, and particularly on Antarctica. I got the monocular out, and apparently the dark band that Gene - Ron mentioned as interface between the continental water is that between the pack ice and the water. And you can, by very subtle changes in the apparent smoothness of the ground, probably make out where the actual continent begins and the pack ice ends. There are a few exposed ranges. I guess it's midsummer down there now, and you can make out the snow-free areas scattered at least in the northern portion of the continent.

Obermeyer: Roger. Did you get any pictures of that, Jack?
Schmitt: Oh, yes. We got some pictures earlier. I'm going to get another one here in a minute.
I'll tell you, if there ever was a fragile-appearing piece of blue in space, it's the Earth right now.

007:57:21 Schmitt: MARK. Bob, mag November November is 130 now. And I just took another set of Earth pictures.
Obermeyer: Okay. Copy that. November November at 130.

008:50:09 CC: Okay. And do you have a final change or update on the film status - beyond that 130 that Jack gave us ?
008:58:03 CDR: Okay. That number on that mag is still 130, Bob. And Alfa Alfa, that 16-millimeter mag, is about 25 percent left.

Apollo 17 Photo Timeline - Day 1: TLI, TD&E, and Coast
Image	Frame	Time	Time Range	Lens	Window	Photographer	Description
AS17-148-22667	60	3:17	3:16 - 3:18	80mm		Schmitt?	Sunrise during the TLI burn.
AS17-148-22668	61	3:17	3:16 - 3:18	80mm		Schmitt?	Sunrise during the TLI burn.
AS17-148-22669	62		3:17 - 3:32	80mm		Schmitt?	Africa, W coast Earth during/after TLI burn
AS17-148-22670	63		3:17 - 3:32	80mm		Schmitt?	Africa, W coast Earth during/after TLI burn
AS17-148-22671	64	3:31	3:17 - 3:32	80mm		Schmitt	Africa, W coast Earth after TLI burn
AS17-148-22672	65		3:34 - 3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22673	66		3:34 - 3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22674	67		3:34 - 3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22675	68		3:34 - 3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22676	69		3:34 - 3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22677	70	3:38	3:38	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22678	71		3:38-3:39	80mm		Evans	Debris during S-IVB Maneuver for Separation
AS17-148-22679	72		3:39 - 3:44	80mm			Earth: South West Africa, South Atlantic Ocean
AS17-148-22680	73		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			LM adapter panels, Africa
AS17-148-22681	74		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			LM adapter panels, Africa
AS17-148-22682	75		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			LM adapter panels, Africa
AS17-148-22683	76		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			LM adapter panels, debris
AS17-148-22684	77		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			LM adapter panels, debris
AS17-148-22685	78		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			Africa, Madagascar, debris, possibly SLA panels
AS17-148-22686	79		3:42 - 3:44	80mm			Africa, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, debris, possibly SLA panels
AS17-148-22687	80	3:44	3:44	80mm			S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22688	81	3:44	3:44 - 3:45	80mm			S-IVB, LM, debris - View of the Lunar Module from the Apollo 17 spacecraft during transposition/docking maneuvers. The white dots surrounding the Lunar Module are debris from the Saturn S-IVB stage separation. [JSC PAO File Name: 10075941.jpg]
AS17-148-22689	82		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22690	83		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22691	84		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22692	85		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22693	86		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22694	87		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22695	88		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22696	89		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22697	90		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22698	91		3:44 - 3:57	80mm	4?	Schmitt?	Transposition, Docking, S-IVB, LM, debris
AS17-148-22699	92			80mm	4?		Africa, Arabia, Red Sea
AS17-148-22700	93			80mm	4?		Africa, Arabia, India
AS17-148-22701	94			80mm			Africa, Arabia, Madagascar [significantly later]
AS17-148-22702	95			80mm			Africa, Arabia, Madagascar
AS17-148-22703	96			80mm	2 or 4?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters
AS17-148-22704	97			80mm	2 or 4?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22705	98			80mm	2 or 4?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22706	99			80mm	3?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22707	100			80mm	3?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22708	101			80mm	3?		S-IVB booster after separation S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22709	102	4:52	4:52	80mm	3?		S-IVB booster attitude maneuver S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22710	103		4:52 - 4:56	80mm	3?		S-IVB booster attitude maneuver S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22711	104		4:52 - 4:56	80mm	3?		S-IVB booster attitude maneuver S-IVB, LM thrusters, antenna
AS17-148-22712	105	4:56	4:56 - 5:03	250mm	3?		S-IVB booster
AS17-148-22713	106	4:56	4:56 - 5:03	250mm	3?		S-IVB booster
AS17-148-22714	107		4:56 - 5:03	250mm	3?		S-IVB booster: View of the expended Saturn IVB stage after Apollo 17 transposition/docking maneuvers. (JAS PAO File Name: 10075942.jpg)
AS17-148-22715	108		4:56 - 5:03	250mm	3?		S-IVB booster
AS17-148-22716	109		4:56 - 5:03	250mm	3?		S-IVB booster
AS17-148-22717	110		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: Africa and Madagascar from the Apollo 17 spacecraft. Much of the ocean area is obscured by clouds. Sun Azimuth: 150 (Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point); Spacecraft Altitude: 205 nautical miles (380 km); Sun Elevation Angle: 72 (Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point) (Info: JSC Astronaut Photography of Earth)
AS17-148-22718	111		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: Northeast Africa and Saudi Arabia. This oblique view of Earth looking north shows the Gulf of Suez, Dead Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman around Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in Africa. Iran, Iraq and Jordan are not so clearly visible because of cloud cover and their particular location in this picture. India is dimly visible at right of frame. The Red Sea is seen entirely in this one frame. The Mediterranean is visible at upper left. The south coast of Saudi Arabia is roughly 2000 km long. Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): +15.,315. (Info: NSSDC 72-096A-05C AS17-148-22718 and JSC Astronaut Photography of Earth)
AS17-148-22719	112		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: Africa
AS17-148-22720	113		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: Africa, Southern
AS17-148-22721	114		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: : Africa (lower continent), Antarctica, clouds (Info: JSC Astronaut Photography of Earth)
AS17-148-22722	115		4:56 - 5:03	250mm			Earth: Africa, Arabia, Red Sea
AS17-148-22723	116		4:56 - 5:03	-			blank
AS17-148-22724	117		4:56 - 5:03	80mm			S-IVB booster
AS17-148-22725	118	5:06	5:03 - 5:08	80mm			Earth: Full Earth. A remarkably cloud-free Africa is at upper left, stretching down to the center of the image. Saudi Arabia is visible at the top of the disk and Antarctica and the south pole are at the bottom. Asia is on the horizon is at upper right. The Earth is 12,740 km in diameter. Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): -30.,310. (Info: NSSDC 72-096A-05C AS17-148-22725) This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the southern hemisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the northeast. (JSC PAO File Name: 10075945.jpg)
AS17-148-22726	119	5:06	5:03 - 5:08	80mm			Earth "Blue Marble"
AS17-148-22727	120	5:06	5:03 - 5:08	80mm			Earth "Blue Marble": Africa, Arabia, Antarctica Full Earth. A remarkably cloud-free Africa is at upper left, stretching down to the center of the image. Saudi Arabia is visible at the top of the disk and Antarctica and the south pole are at the bottom. Asia is on the horizon is at upper right. The Earth is 12,740 km in diameter. Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): -30.,310. (Info: NSSDC 72-096A-05C AS17-148-22727)
AS17-148-22728	121	5:06	5:03 - 5:08	80mm			Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22729	122		5:08 - 5:49	80mm			Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22730	123		5:08 - 5:49	80mm			Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22731	124		5:08 - 5:49	80mm			Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22732	125		5:49-5:51	80mm		Schmitt	Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22733	126		5:49-5:51	80mm		Schmitt	Earth: Africa, Arabia, Antarctica
AS17-148-22734	127	7:57	7:57	80mm		Schmitt	Earth: Africa, South America, Antarctica
AS17-148-22735	128	7:57	7:57	80mm		Schmitt	Earth: Africa, South America, Antarctica
AS17-148-22736	129	7:57	7:57	80mm		Schmitt	Earth: Africa, South America, Antarctica
-- end of day one --

Eric Hartwell's InfoDabble

Apollo 17: Blue Marble Photo Timeline