A global selfie is being orchestrated by NASA for Earth Day. People around the world will take pictures of themselves outside on April 22 and upload them to social media, using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. These images will be assembled into a global mosaic by the space agency, with pictures placed by location. NASA will watch five social media sites -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Google+ -- for additions to the crowdsourced image.
Satellites take pictures of the Earth constantly. This effort is aimed at seeing the Earth, and the people residing on it, from the ground level.
"This satellite data helps NASA scientists piece together a clear picture of our planet from a scientific viewpoint. On this Earth Day, we wanted to create a different picture of our planet -- a crowd-sourced collection of snapshots of the people of Earth that we could use to create one unique mosaic of the Blue Marble," NASA wrote in a statement announcing the event.
A patchwork picture of all participants, as well as a video, will be made available in May by NASA.
"Get outside and show us mountains, parks, the sky, rivers, lakes -- wherever you are, there's your picture. Tell us where you are in a sign, words written in the sand, spelled out with rocks -- or by using the printable signs we've created," NASA advised the public. Forms are available for download on the Global Selfie Web site.
NASA currently manages 17 missions observing our planet, studying the complex interactions of the atmosphere, land and waterways. The space agency also has five additional major environmental missions launching to space in 2014. This careful watch has inspired the space agency to launch a new campaign, called Earth Right Now.
The upcoming missions represent "more Earth-focused launches in a single year in more than a decade," according to Earth Right Now. That program's motto is "Your planet is changing. We're on it."
Observatories in space allow climatologists and meteorologists to monitor extreme weather conditions, possibly saving lives in areas effected by storms. Global climate change, including the melting of polar ice caps, can be measured and recorded.
The Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory is one of the missions already examining the global water cycle. That mission will be complemented by the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite. This observatory is able to "follow" water as it moves from underground aquifers to the ocean and the atmosphere.
A global portrait, reflecting the diversity of the human race, will provide an insight to the world that was never before available.
