When some people think of NASA, they probably assume that the space agency’s mission is largely over, thanks to less exploratory shuttle launches. While NASA may not be sending as many shuttles into space as they once did, the organization is far from just sitting on its duff. NASA has gone from a group of people with the right stuff to a group that is still exploring the galaxy; they are just doing it in different ways. 

One of the ways the agency still earns its keep is by monitoring the space around us and letting us know when there might be something on the way that we will want to know about. Such is the latest warning of a solar storm NASA spotted that could wreak havoc on some electronic devices in the near future.

Of course, another way the agency has managed to stay relevant is through the use of some incredibly high-powered telescopes and high-tech satellites that return some truly breathtaking images of what surrounds us in the final frontier. The agency also has some satellites and telescopes that are aimed back at us. 

These are not spy satellites but rather, they are tasked at taking pictures of the earth. The newest satellite assigned with taking our picture, the Suomi NPP, has just returned a photo that is simply mind-numbing in its clarity and beauty. Best of all, this particular picture is free for anyone who wants to go online to download it.

The picture, being called the Big Blue Marble 2012, really does make the Earth look like something someone created, rather than that exists in reality right now. Hosted on Flikr, the picture is actually 8000 x 8000, meaning that should you have a big display you can certainly choose to make it your background. 

Of course, you can also get it in the usual Flikr dimensions so that you can actually view the photo on your standard computer. The photo is actually a composite photograph comprised of many different swaths of the Earth. The picture is supposed to be an updated version of Blue Marble, taken in 1972 by the Apollo 17.

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