Photo of us and jupiter

[Jive Turkey]

I figured this would be a good place to post this image. With all the discussions and arguments on various topics that go on here, I think its sometimes nice to take a step back and ponder our place in the Universe. How we're all together in such a small space relative to the vastness of space. I came across this photo taken from mars that shows Earth and Jupiter in the same frame. Its really quite a quietly beautiful photograph. Humbling in a way. And given the fact that Jupiter is around 7 times further away from this perspective, it really makes us feel tiny.

Source: Stunning photo: Earth and Jupiter in the same shot | DVICE

 

[Tiger Edge]

Now where is my 36" monitor?

 

[Jive Turkey]

hahaha, sorry. theres a smaller version on the link I provided. I just like the detail in the planets/moons on the larger image

 

[Vincent Vega]

The detail is I can count how many pixels each planet/moon is on my monitor.

But cool picture even though it makes my monitor look so small.

 

[BonosSaint]

Extraordinary picture. Thank you. I feel appropriately small and short-lived.

 

[Kieran McConville]

That photo surprises me, I must say. Taken from Mars? I take it that the Earth is the blueish sphere in the upper image - I say it surprises me, as from Mars I would have been under the impression that the Earth would be much smaller - like Venus to us.

I'm not really convinced this photo is for real, to be honest.

Although on reflection, seeing the image whole and given how huge the pixel dimensions are, maybe it is for real. Seeing it the way it appears on the forum page gives a very different impression. The star field dwarfs both planets, of course.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Kieran, it was taken with the Mars Global Surveyor, so not really on the surface of mars. I'm sure the image has also been enlarged several times. You're right though, with the naked eye from mars, earth should be about the same size as mars is from here.

 

[cydewaze]

That photo surprises me, I must say. Taken from Mars? I take it that the Earth is the blueish sphere in the upper image - I say it surprises me, as from Mars I would have been under the impression that the Earth would be much smaller - like Venus to us.

I'll assume there's a significant amount of optical zoom involved, which would also explain the depth of field (both Jupiter and Earth being in focus and almost appearing on the same plane). Long lenses tend to foreshorten distances.

 

[Jive Turkey]

I'll assume there's a significant amount of optical zoom involved, which would also explain the depth of field (both Jupiter and Earth being in focus and almost appearing on the same plane). Long lenses tend to foreshorten distances.

Those distances are so incredibly huge that focal length would be negligible. I'd think focusing to infinity would get both in focus regardless. One thing I do find fascinating in the shot is the phase of jupiter in relation to earth. The shadow caused from the sun is pretty much dividing the Earth down the middle, but the distance to Jupiter is so much greater that the Sun's angle is virtually straight on

 

[Tiger Edge]

I have to remark that that's almost how I see Jupiter when I look through my telescope. I'm sure I could have a much better view of it with a barlow lens, though.
Check out the moons on either side of Jupiter, too!

 

[cydewaze]

Those distances are so incredibly huge that focal length would be negligible. I'd think focusing to infinity would get both in focus regardless.

There's a difference between infinite focus and focal length. You can focus any lens to infinity, but an 800mm zoom focused to infinity will have a different depth of field than a 50mm lens focused to infinity.

For example, in the Tour de France, when the camera zooms down the road to look at two cyclists, they look like they're a few feet apart, but when the camera zooms back you can see that they're actually 50 meters apart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_length

 

[Jive Turkey]

There's a difference between infinite focus and focal length. You can focus any lens to infinity, but an 800mm zoom focused to infinity will have a different depth of field than a 50mm lens focused to infinity.

Oh, I'm well aware of that. My point was that to get both planets in focus from that distance you would only have to focus to infinity or even just to hyperfocal distance for that matter. Its not as if you're focusing on earth and then adjusting focal length and aperture accordingly to also get jupiter in focus. As far as focal length goes, those planets are so far away that you arent going to change the perceived distance between the two simply by zooming in. The distances are far too great. The ratio between the length of your lens is infinitely microscopic in relation to the distances to and between planets. Its much different than zooming from 50mm to 800mm at objects only a few feet or even a few miles apart

 

[Kieran McConville]

Good points guys. I frankly was overlooking the sheer size of the area being framed, more than anything. The fact that Earth was resolved enough to be visible as an actual sphere was the kicker.

(not taken from Mars itself, understood, just in the vicinity).