APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The Millennium that Defined Earth
Explanation: When the second millennium began , people generally knew that the Earth was round , but few saw much of it beyond their local village. As the millennium progressed, humans mapped the continents , circumnavigated the globe , and determined the composition of the Earth . The Earth started as the center of everything , but became a planet placed in the Solar System , which became placed in a Galaxy , which became placed in the Local Group of Galaxies , which became placed in an expanse so vast we call it just the Universe . As millennium two ends people generally know what Earth looks like from afar , and how it is that all of humanity is confined to the surface of this fragile and watery globe .
| Date | December 31, 1999 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: Apollo 8 Crew, NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |



