NASA's Saturn-orbiting space probe, Cassini, will conduct a photo session from 1.5 billion kilometers between 7.27am and 7.42am. It will capture a series of high-resolution snapshots of earth from a distance way above in the space. The pictures will be natural colored.

The space camera will point at lucky Americans. "North America and part of the Atlantic Ocean will be in sunlight - leaving Australia, unfortunately, on the wrong side of the world. Nevertheless, it's the idea that counts. So smile anyway", said Swinburne University astrophysicist Sarah Maddison.

It will be the first interplanetary portrait to be taken without ultraviolet or infrared filters. A unique version of an outer solar system eclipse will help the portrait. During the eclipse, the sun's glowing dial will tuck away safely behind the Saturn.

This photo-artwork will not offer too many details as it will be a trifling 1.5 pixels wide from Cassini's remote vantage point which is 1.44 billion kilometers away from earth. The illuminated part will be less than a pixel.

Carolyn Porco of the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, is the initiator of the Earth-image project and leader of Cassini's imaging team. He said that it should not be mistaken as an instant earth snap as a narrow angle picture will take a few days.