Spectacular 'Blue Marble' Photos Of Earth From Space

T​his Earth Day, celebrate and honor our planet by looking at it in all its glory — as a "blue marble" from space.

Earth from this vantage point first earned its nickname as the "blue marble" from the first photo many people saw of the Earth in its entirety from space. The portrait of Earth, taken in Dec. 1972 by NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt as the Apollo 17 crew made their way to the Moon, while not the first image of Earth sent from space, is still, to this day, one of the most iconic and widely known photos of the planet. The image itself is often called "Blue Marble."

The image was taken to try to convey the poignant feeling most astronauts describe when viewing our globe from the vastness of space.

NASA describes that, "Earth is revealed as both a vast planet home to billions of creatures and a beautiful orb capable of fitting into the pocket of the universe."

M​any astronauts describe feeling more protective of our home and its fragile environment after witnessing the spectacular view. The feeling is called the "blue marble effect," or "the overview effect."

“It gives you a much different sense of the world in which we live, that geographical and political boundaries are really meaningless when you get into space," NASA historian Stephen Garber explains. “And I think that's part of what was so special about The Blue Marble photo.”

C​lick through the slideshow above to see images of the Earth from space from throughout history.

M​ORE FROM WEATHER.COM: This Is What The First Earth Day Looked Like

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