WATCH LIVE: NASA's views of Earth on Earth Day
It's Earth Day, and what a better way to celebrate our great planet than to check out some incredible live footage of the Earth from space?
Earth Day began in 1970 as a way to shed light on important environmental issues. Sen. Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin formed the idea and developed the idea of Earth Day following the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He selected a date that fell between college spring breaks and final exams.
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The impact of the first Earth Day was bigger than anyone had imagined. That one day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts -- all by the end of the year.
NASA is also encouraging people around the world to participate by posting a photo or short video to social media with the hashtag #24seven.
Begin posting at 6 a.m. EDT on April 21 – which marks the beginning of Earth Day on the international date line at Samoa and Christmas Island, Kiribati – and continue posting until 8 a.m. EDT on April 23, which marks the end of Earth Day on the other side of the international date line at Baker Island.
In past years, NASA has received tens of thousands of responses via social media from over 145 countries and territories around the world.
NASA is also asking folks to share some pictures or videos of their favorite places on Earth using the hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome. NASA will be sharing their view of Earth, and they are encouraging people around the world to share what their view is like.
Check out more AOL Earth Day coverage here.
