Google Doodle Honors Earth Day

If you just woke up or even if you're heading out to work, take a moment to lean down and give good old Mother Earth a kiss; it is Earth Day, after all. Google's marking the day with a lively animated Google Doodle that almost completely obscures the search giant's brand name.

First celebrated more 40 years ago, Earth Day recognizes environmental awareness and, for some, action. Google's Doodle, which resides on its eponymous search page, doesn't look much like an Earth, but features vignettes of the globe's bounty. There are swimming fish, animals in caves, a rising and setting sun (and moon), flowers that bloom into the letter "G," clouds, rain and more. You can click to interact with the various areas, or simply watch it all play out over and over again. A click on Google's search icon will take you to a treasure trove of information about Earth Day.

For even more Earth goodness, you can check out the Google Earth blog, which features links to a variety of earth-related features including an exploration of the ocean floor, underwater Street View and Saving the Elephants.