The Sun glints off a water world

Bad Astronomy
By Phil Plait
Sep 13, 2012 8:00 PMNov 20, 2019 2:01 AM

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

You know what? Our planet is awesome.

[Click to thalassenate.] This photo was taken by ESA astronaut André Kuipers, on board the International Space Station. Frustratingly there's no info I could find on when this was taken, or what part of the planet it shows... but then, in a way, maybe that's OK. It's a reminder of how big Earth is, how easy it is to get lost here, and how much of it there's still to explore. Of course, that glint we see of reflected sunlight can tell us so much. It tells us we live on a world of water, which we already knew. But sometimes we see glints from alien worlds, and that tells us liquid exists there too. And that tells me to take nothing for granted. Even the simplest thing we see so often can reveal amazing knowledge of things we'd otherwise never see. Credit: ESA/NASA

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group