A Different View of Earth

The quintessential picture of the Earth shows most of its land masses. But if it's viewed on the other side, such as this satellite view over the Pacific, it looks much more like a blue ocean planet than a green one. Earth is named for the Old English word for “dry land” (eorthe), despite the fact that 70% of the planet’s surface is ocean—definitely not “dry land." Read about the origins of Earth Day and its link to the ocean.