Language MattersFrom Earthrise to Earthset, missions like Artemis II are reshaping how we see Earth
Space exploration inspires new words and phrases such as ‘Earthset’ and the ‘overview effect’, as well as images like ‘The Blue Marble’
“What are some words that come to mind?” was the question posed on April 8 by Merriam-Webster Dictionary to the Artemis II astronauts in space, in connection with their monumental experience of being farther from Earth than any human in history.
Space exploration has certainly offered humanity new perspectives on our existence, and, consequently, has inspired words and phrases to articulate these novel experiences, especially in ways we contemplate our planet.
The “overview effect” was coined by author Frank White in his 1987 book The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, describing the shift in awareness by astronauts seeing Earth from outer space.
This completes the lexical pairing with the other lunar phenomenon, “Earthrise” – the name coined in 1968 for the iconic image of Earth appearing to rise above the moon’s horizon, taken by an Apollo 8 crew member as the spacecraft rounded the dark side of the moon.