I have no idea how I missed this photo, which was taken in 2004  (click on it above for a larger view).  Especially in light of my current blog banner.  I follow these things pretty closely, get Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines, and so forth.  But the photo above was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on March 8, 2004.  The first photo of Earth from the surface of another planet… it gives me goosebumps.

The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been operating on the surface of Mars for over 6 years.  Spirit became indelibly stuck in a sand trap last May, but continued to function.  It skipped a planned communication with NASA on March 31st and may be in hibernation mode during the Martian winter.  On Thursday April 29th, it will surpass the Viking 1 lander’s record for the longest running mission on Mars, assuming it survives the low power mode and wakes up in a few weeks.  If not, Opportunity is sure to break the record, as it continues to chug along towards a giant crater called Endeavor on the Martian plains of Meridiani Planum on the opposite side of the planet.  It landed on Mars 3 weeks after Spirit back in January 2004, and will surpass the record on May 20th.

Not bad for two little rovers that were only supposed to last 3 months.

via Boing Boing