APOD 2.7

To Fly Free in Space (January 1, 2012)

This is a photo of Bruce McCandless II, who was on the space shuttle Challenger in 1984.  He set the record for the farthest distance a man has free floated in space.  Using an MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) fueled by nitrogen, McCandless floated 100 meters from the cargo bay of the shuttle.
This photograph captures one attention because of the detailed cloud-cover of Earth, contrasted with the completely black space and McCandless.  This contrast makes the viewer feel like they could get lost in the picture, as one could get lost in space.