NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
Source: https://archive.org/details/pspearthencounter
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
Source: https://archive.org/details/pspearthencounter
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2):
https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio:
https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter:
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
*NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): *
https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio:
https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter:
What if we sent a spacecraft to film Earth and Moon transiting across the Sun? Such a mission would constitute another inspiring "Apollo moment" for humanity.
I imagined the view by compositing real NASA SDO footage of the Venus and Mercury solar transits as approximate stand-ins for Earth and Moon:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3941
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4461
Sound of the Sun:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/sounds-of-the-sun/
Music by Max Richter:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
Scientific References:
The Earth transiting the Sun as seen from Jupiter's moons: detection of an inverse Rossiter–McLaughlin effect produced by the opposition surge of the icy Europa P. Molaro, M. Barbieri, L. Monaco, S. Zaggia, C. Lovis Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 453, Issue 2, 21 October 2015, Pages 1684–1691
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/453/2/1684/1144327
Transits of Earth as Seen from Mars Meeus, J., Goffin, E. Journal of the British Astronomical Association, vol.93, no.3, p.120-123 (1983)
NASA Source: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3940
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L3 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/
Source: https://archive.org/details/pspearthencounter
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured this grand prospect of Earth swimming in a sea of stars over the course of ten days in April 2019. Earth is the first bright round spot that shows up before the Milky Way is seen. The Moon was too close to Earth to be resolved. The background star near Earth is Spica. Mercury is seen in transit across the Milky Way core. Venus is the very bright spot at the end. Jupiter is also seen just before Mercury appears while Saturn is in the background. The stripes are cosmic rays hitting the camera sensor. By the time Parker Solar Probe imaged Venus it was traveling at 95km/s (~213,000mph).
NASA Raw Data Source (Parker Solar Probe WISPR Outer Camera L2 Earth Encounter 2): https://wispr.nrl.navy.mil/encounter2-summary
Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Audio: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/15/parker-solar-probe-wind-sounds-2499-em1-art1-rea-science/
Music by Max Richter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N56U5OI/