The Earth is certainly the most familiar planet, though it has only been a few hundred years since we fully realized it was a planet. We begin our study of objects in the Solar System with the Earth because it is interesting in its own right, and it provides a test of many observing techniques that we wish to use for other objects in the Solar System.
The Earth is, at least by human standards, a beautiful planet, as the following images indicate.
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| Apollo 11 shot of Earth | Galileo shot of the Earth and Moon | Galileo image of S. America |
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