To see the entire Earth as a globe, one needs to be far enough from the planet to capture it in a single frame. The best-known image taken from such a distance is the "Blue Marble" photo, taken by the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972 from about 29,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) away. This image shows Earth fully illuminated, a rare view because it requires just the right angle and distance from the sun.

Satellites positioned in geostationary orbit, about 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) above Earth, can show nearly a full hemisphere, but to see Earth as a fully illuminated globe, astronauts or satellites would need to be much farther, about 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) away or more, and the lighting has to be just right.