Tagged: Satellite Image

Breathtaking Big Marble That We Call Home Sweet Home [22 Pics, 2 Vids]

December 8th, 2012 Permalink

NASA has shown us views of the Big Marble, the breathtakingly beautiful planet on which we live because it studies space and the Earth. The first Big Blue Marble photo was released in 1972 and each subsequent release of images have increased in quality so that the newest 2012 release of the Big Black Marble, or Earth at Night, are stunning. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite was launched last year by NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense. It orbits 512 miles above our planet’s surface and has an extremely sensitive sensor that can detect the nocturnal glow produced by Earth’s atmosphere. In fact, it can see the light given off from a single street light or one glowing light on a boat floating alone on the ocean. The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) “carries a low-light sensor that can distinguish night lights with six times better spatial resolution and 250 times better resolution of lighting levels (dynamic range) than before.” NASA added, “A global composite image, constructed using cloud-free night images from a new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite, shows the glow of natural and human-built phenomena across the planet in greater detail than ever before.” So here is the series of the Big Marble in Old, New, Aqua, Blue, White and Black Marble. If you stop to think that this is our home, all of us regardless of where on the globe you are located, then it somehow seems possible that we could achieve peace on Earth around this holiday season for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Boxing Day. It also shows why we should protect our environment . . . it belongs to your children’s children and us all. Thank you NASA! You ROCK! [22 Photos, 2 Videos]

North and South America at night twinkling with light in the darkness

“This image of North and South America at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. The new data was mapped over existing Blue Marble imagery of Earth to provide a realistic view of the planet.” NASA added, “The day-night band observed Hurricane Sandy, illuminated by moonlight, making landfall over New Jersey on the evening of Oct. 29. Night images showed the widespread power outages that left millions in darkness in the wake of the storm.” Photo #1 by NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

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28 Absolutely Great NASA Satellite Photos Showcasing the Earth’s Art

December 7th, 2012 Permalink

Wow! NASA has released a holiday treasure in the form of a free Earth As Art ebook that contains 75 stunning images. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then what are you waiting for? The Earth Science Division of NASA Science Mission Directorate wrote, “In 1960, the United States put its first Earth-observing environmental satellite into orbit around the planet.” These images of Earth were captured with “the Terra, Landsat 5, Landsat 7, EO-1, and Aqua satellites. Sensors on these satellites can measure light outside of the visible range, so the images show more than what is visible to the naked eye.” These images are so beautiful that it will blow your mind. We really don’t know how anyone could resist loving NASA. Their book “celebrates Earth’s aesthetic beauty in the patterns, shapes, colors, and textures of the land, oceans, ice, and atmosphere. The beauty of Earth is clear, and the artistry ranges from the surreal to the sublime.” Here are 28 absolutely great satellite photos showcasing the art of our planet Earth. [28 Great Photos]

Carnegie Lake, in Western Australia

“We must look to the heavens . . . for the measure of the earth ~ Jean-Félix Picard,” quoted NASA. Carnegie Lake, in Western Australia. Photo #1 by NASA via ebook: Earth As Art

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Global Art Project Can Be Seen From Space! (21 Pics)

April 18th, 2011 Permalink

350 Earth is the world’s first art exhibit large enough to be seen from space! 350 EARTH is a global project to put art and creativity at the center of the growing movement to stop the climate crisis. 350.org launched the 350 EARTH project in November 2010 in the lead up to the UN Climate Meetings in Cancun, Mexico, coordinating over a dozen major public art pieces large enough to be seen from space. 350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. We love these pics and this project! [21 Pics]

Solar Scarab -- Cairo, Egypt

“Solar Scarab” by Sarah Rifaat — Cairo, Egypt. In Cairo, Egypt, hundreds of students formed the image of a traditional Scarab beetle, a traditional symbol of rebirth and regeneration that was often depicted on temple walls pushing the ball of the sun across the sky. Using the scarab and the sun in this art piece is both a reminder of the integral part the sun has always played in Egyptian history, and a call for re-examining our modern relationship to this most abundant source of clean energy. Photo #1 by Ahmed Hayman

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