Voyager 1 warmed its cameras for three hours before taking the photos. Earth’s image was recorded at 04:48 GMT on February 14, 1990, just 34 minutes before the spacecraft powered off its cameras permanently.

The Pale Blue Dot: How one image taken from 3.7 billion miles away proved Earth is a speck in space

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price".&nbsp;

Garan is not only an astronaut but also a fighter pilot and a social entrepreneur. He has spent time on a space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the International Space Station. Looking down on Earth, he says he was hit by a 'sobering realisation'.

In an interview with Big Think, Garan said that people on Earth treat the "life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy". Every human-made system is treated that way, he said.&nbsp;

"I saw an iridescent biosphere teaming with life. I didn't see an economy, but since our human-made systems treat everything including the very life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vanish point of space that we're living a lie," he said.

He says that after he returned from space, his perspective changed due to the 'Overview Effect'. Things started appearing differently to him after he saw how Earth was hanging in the darkness of space.&nbsp;

"The Overview Effect describes the shift that astronauts have when they see the planet hanging in the blackness of space," Garan said. "There's this lightbulb that pops up when we realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are," he added.

<h2>Humanity is 'floating in darkness'</h2>

Humanity faces a lot of problems on Earth - wars, hunger, poverty and more. Countries are fighting with each other for territory, the rich are busy filling their vaults and more. The problems, Garan says, continue to remain because humanity does not see the "actual picture".&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-apophis-can-collide-with-earth-but-only-if-this-happens-the-odds-of-755711">'God of chaos' asteroid can hit Earth, but only if THIS happens. 'The odds of...'</a>

"Part of the reasons we're not solving the problems is because we don't have the right perspective, we're not addressing things in the reality of the situation," Garan says.

"We think we know the whole picture, when in reality we see a very very small representation," he added.

This is why, Garan says, "We're paying a really high price right now, as a civilisation."

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price".

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price". Garan is not only an astronaut but also a fighter pilot and a social entrepreneur. He has spent time on a space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the International Space Station. Looking down on Earth, he says he was hit by a 'sobering realisation'. In an interview with Big Think, Garan said that people on Earth treat the "life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy". Every human-made system is treated that way, he said. "I saw an iridescent biosphere teaming with life. I didn't see an economy, but since our human-made systems treat everything including the very life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vanish point of space that we're living a lie," he said. He says that after he returned from space, his perspective changed due to the 'Overview Effect'. Things started appearing differently to him after he saw how Earth was hanging in the darkness of space. "The Overview Effect describes the shift that astronauts have when they see the planet hanging in the blackness of space," Garan said. "There's this lightbulb that pops up when we realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are," he added. Humanity is 'floating in darkness' Humanity faces a lot of problems on Earth - wars, hunger, poverty and more. Countries are fighting with each other for territory, the rich are busy filling their vaults and more. The problems, Garan says, continue to remain because humanity does not see the "actual picture". Also Read: 'God of chaos' asteroid can hit Earth, but only if THIS happens. 'The odds of...' "Part of the reasons we're not solving the problems is because we don't have the right perspective, we're not addressing things in the reality of the situation," Garan says. "We think we know the whole picture, when in reality we see a very very small representation," he added. This is why, Garan says, "We're paying a really high price right now, as a civilisation."

Astronaut who spent 178 days in space says humanity is living 'a big lie'

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study.

The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/earth-has-a-new-mini-moon-about-the-size-of-a-car-283144">Earth has a new 'mini-moon' about the&nbsp;size of a car</a>

In order to gather data, researchers analyzed more than 100 rock samples from across a dry area known as Panorama that's located in northwestern Australia's outback.&nbsp;

Scientists compared it to analyzing coffee grounds to learn more about the water that flowed through it.

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-a-first-water-found-on-earth-like-planet-beyond-our-solar-system-249176">In a first, water found on earth-like planet beyond our solar system</a>

''An early Earth without emergent continents may have resembled a water world, providing an important environmental constraint on the origin and evolution of life on Earth, as well as its possible existence elsewhere,'' the study stated.

The scientists focused on different types of oxygen that seawater had carried into the crust.&nbsp;

In particular, they analysed the relative amounts of two isotopes, oxygen-16 and the ever-so-slightly-heavier oxygen-18, in more than 100 samples of the stone.

They found that seawater contained more oxygen-18 when the crust was formed 3.2 billion&nbsp;years ago.&nbsp;

The most plausible explanation according to them is that Earth had no continents at the time, because when these form, the clays they contain absorb the ocean’s heavy oxygen isotopes.

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study. The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world.

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study. The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world. Also read: Earth has a new 'mini-moon' about the size of a car In order to gather data, researchers analyzed more than 100 rock samples from across a dry area known as Panorama that's located in northwestern Australia's outback. Scientists compared it to analyzing coffee grounds to learn more about the water that flowed through it. Also see: In a first, water found on earth-like planet beyond our solar system ''An early Earth without emergent continents may have resembled a water world, providing an important environmental constraint on the origin and evolution of life on Earth, as well as its possible existence elsewhere,'' the study stated. The scientists focused on different types of oxygen that seawater had carried into the crust. In particular, they analysed the relative amounts of two isotopes, oxygen-16 and the ever-so-slightly-heavier oxygen-18, in more than 100 samples of the stone. They found that seawater contained more oxygen-18 when the crust was formed 3.2 billion years ago. The most plausible explanation according to them is that Earth had no continents at the time, because when these form, the clays they contain absorb the ocean’s heavy oxygen isotopes.

Earth may have been a 'water world' 3 billion years ago: Study

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The Pale Blue Dot: How one image taken from 3.7 billion miles away proved Earth is a speck in space

Astronaut who spent 178 days in space says humanity is living 'a big lie'

Earth may have been a 'water world' 3 billion years ago: Study