A stronaut Joseph Allen recently made the observation that exploring the Moon in the 1960s was never really about going to the Moon. "With all the arguments, pro and con, for going to the Moon," he commented, "no one suggested that we should do it to look at the Earth. But that may in fact be the one important reason." This observation serves as the entree point for this essay that lays out a long range research project exploring the manner in which Western Civilization has conceived of the Earth as an entity and as a home. This essay represents a sneak peek of a new book project now underway. The study will begin with ancient ideas about the Earth as a sphere or as a flat body and trace this theme to the present, as well as the themes of hollow Earth, Spaceship Earth, and Gaia. It will then explore the manner in which scientists came to understand the size and shape of the Earth and its geodesy. It also offers a discussion of the nature of Earth maps and their evolution over time, with all of the attendant issues associated with them, privileging Europe and North America over other regions, etc. Finally, it pursues the place of imagery from space and its contribution to the public understanding of how Western Civilization envisions this planet and its place in the universe.
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