Big Blue Marble

image credit - NASA

Having launched on December 7, was this view of the earth as seen by Apollo 17 crew - astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt - traveling toward the moon. 

This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea 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.  

Take note of 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 mainland of Asia is on the horizon toward the Northeast.

On this day in history, December 11, 1972, Apollo 17 became the last manned moon mission.  Two astronauts landed the lunar module Challenger, in a location called the Taurus-Littrow Valley spending three days collecting samples from the lunar surface.

image credit - NASA

Commander Eugene Cernan was the last person to set foot on the lunar surface as he followed lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, back onto their space craft to prepare to depart the lunar surface.

Meanwhile, command module pilot Ronald Evans had to hang out orbiting the moon as he awaited the return of his crew mates.

Apollo 17 successfully returned to earth; splashing-down on December 19.

It has been 52 years since humans last explored the lunar surface.....