Breathtaking Satellite Photos That Will Change How You See Our World (New Pics)

Since 2014, Benjamin Grant searches for striking satellite pictures of our planet and publish them on his website – The Daily Overview. His aim is to change the way we see our planet Earth, and to show the effects of human intervention that can be found in nature – desserts, mining fields, islands and etc. Do you remember his previous post on Bored Panda?

Grant was inspired by the Overview Effect experience, which is a cognitive shift of perspective and worldview experienced by the astronauts when they see the planet Earth from space for the first time. In that breathtaking moment, astronauts realize how small and fragile the human life is.

So scroll down the page and experience the Overview Effect yourself!

More info: dailyoverview.com

#1 The Blooming Tulip Fields In Lisse, Netherlands


Check out this Overview, which captures the blooming tulip fields in Lisse, Netherlands. These vibrant flowers are at their peak in April of each year
#2 Northumberlandia, Or “Lady Of The North”, Northern England


Northumberlandia, or “Lady of the North,” is a massive land sculpture in the shape of a reclining female figure near the town of Cramlington in northern England. Completed in 2012, the sculpture is made of 1.5 million metric tonnes of earth removed from the neighboring Shotton Surface Mine. It is 112 feet (34 m) high and 1,300 feet (400 m) long
#3 Willie Creek, Western Australia


Willie Creek is a protected tidal estuary roughly 10.5 miles (17 km) north of Broome, Western Australia. The creek’s calm, nutrient-rich waters make it an ideal habitat for the Pinctada maxima oyster, which produces world-renowned pearls
#4 Everglades National Park, Florida


Everglades National Park in Florida is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States east of the Mississippi River, covering more than 1.5 million acres. The park was established in 1934 to protect the area’s fragile ecosystem and is home to 36 threatened or protected species including the American crocodile and West Indian manatee
#5 Plaza Del Ejecutivo, Mexico City


Radiating streets surround the Plaza Del Ejecutivo in the Venustiano Carranza district of Mexico City, Mexico. This district — which is home to more than 430,000 people — contains three of Mexico City’s large traditional markets, including La Merced, Mercado de Sonora, and Mercado Jamaica
#6 Cluster Of Tetrapods, Hong Kong


A cluster of tetrapods is seen near the High Island Reservoir in Hong Kong. These concrete structures are used to reinforce shoreline defenses and prevent coastal erosion by breaking up incoming waves. The specific shape of the tetrapod allows water to flow around rather than against the concrete and reduces displacement by interlocking
#7 Sahara Desert, Algeria


The climate in this region is torrid and almost rainless, with an average annual rainfall of less than 0.4 inches (10 mm). In the summer, daytime temperatures are known to consistently reach 122°F (50°C), earning this area its nickname — the “triangle of fire”
#8 Kawah Ijen, Indonesia


Kawah Ijen is a stratovolcano in the East Java Province of Indonesia. It has a 0.6-mile-wide (1 km) turquoise-colored acidic crater lake, which is the site of a major sulfur mining operation. At night, when sulfuric gases make contact with fresh air, electric blue flames can be seen rising from volcano up to 16 feet (5 m) high
#9 Logan County, Colorado


Much of the county’s 1,845 square miles (4,780 sq. km) is used for farming, ranching or related activities, making it one of the most productive agricultural counties in the state. Shown in the bottom half of this image is the small town of Peetz, which has more wind turbines (300) than residents (238)
#10 Roebuck Bay, Western Australia


Roebuck Bay is a 210-square-mile (550 sq. km) tropical marine embayment in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Much of the Bay’s eastern edge contains tidal creeks, which create vein-like patterns on its red sandy beaches. Mangrove swamps connected to these tidal creeks serve as important nursery areas for marine fish and crustaceans
#11 Rooftops In Sisteron, Southeastern France


Check out this amazing view above rooftops in Sisteron, a commune in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southeastern France. This small community has been inhabited for more than 4,000 years and currently has roughly 7,300 residents. Apart from its beautiful countryside, tourist attractions in Sisteron include its citadel, the 12th century former Sisteron Cathedral, and the Musée Terre et Temps — museum about earth and the measurement of time
#12 Canola Flower Fields, China


Canola flower fields cover the mountainous landscape of Luoping County, China. The crop is grown for the production of oil, which is extracted by slightly heating and then crushing the flower seeds. Canola oil is primarily used as a source of biodiesel and is also a key ingredient in many foods
#13 Greenhouses In Almeria, Spain


Greenhouses in Almeria, Spain, cover approximately 20,000 hectares of land (more than 75 square miles). The use of plastic covering (known as “plasticulture”) is designed to increase produce yield, increase produce size, and shorten growth time. For a sense of scale, this Overview shows roughly six square miles
#14 Akimiski Island, Canada


Akimiski Island is the largest island in James Bay (a southeasterly extension of Hudson Bay), Canada. Most of the vegetation covering the island consists of lichen, moss, sedges and black dwarf spruce, giving it a vibrant color scheme from the aerial perspective. The island has no year-round human inhabitants; however, it is home to the 1,300-square-mile (3,367-sq-km) Akimiski Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary
#15 The Hoover Dam, Situated On The Border Of Nevada And Arizona


The Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, situated on the border of Nevada and Arizona. Standing 726.4 feet (221.4 m) tall and 1,244 feet (376 m) long, it impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States by volume. Construction of the Hoover Dam between 1931 and 1936 served as a massive public works project of the Great Depression, employing thousands of workers — in fact, when the dam was authorized, nearly 20,000 unemployed individuals flocked to Las Vegas (a city of just 5,000 at the time) in hopes of finding work
#16 Canyon Lake, California


Canyon Lake is a city and gated community in southern California, with a population of slightly more than 11,000 people. Constructed as a master-planned community in 1968, it is one of just five gated cities in the state. In 2006, it was featured in “United Gates of America,” a BBC documentary that explored why people live in gated communities and what effects it has on them
#17 “Galaxia”, Nevada


“Galaxia” was The Temple at this year’s Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Designed by French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, it is shaped of 20 timber trusses converging as a spiral towards one point in the sky. According to the artist, the design “celebrates hope in the unknown, stars, planets, black holes, the movement uniting us in swirling galaxies of dreams”
#18 Swanson Dock, Australia


Swanson Dock is an international shipping facility on the north bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. It and several other docks make up the Port of Melbourne, one of Australia’s largest ports for containerized and general cargo. Swanson Dock East has a berth length of 2,900 feet (884 m), six container cranes and 99 acres (40 hectares) of container storage, while Swanson Dock West has 3,097 feet (944 m) of wharves, seven cranes and 84 acres (34 hectares) of storage space
#19 3-D Paintings On The Roof Of The Seattle Center Armory, Washington


Don’t worry — even though they look real, these giant spiders are just 3-D paintings on the roof of the Seattle Center Armory in Seattle, Washington. Muralist Marlin Peterson painted these two Opiliones, or “Harvestmen” arachnids in August 2012 through a grant from the Washington State Artist Trust. Situated just under the iconic Space Needle observation tower, the mural is viewed from above by nearly 1.3 million visitors per year
#20 Great Exuma Island, Bahamas


Several cays extend off the western coast of Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas. Great Exuma is the largest of more than 365 islands in the Exuma district, with an area of 61 square miles (158 sq. km). The Tropic of Cancer, also known as the Northern Tropic, runs across a beach located on Great Exuma
#21 Loosdrecht, Netherlands


Loosdrecht is a town of roughly 8,600 inhabitants in the North Holland Province of the Netherlands. It is known for its lakes, the Loosdrechtse Plassen, which attract thousands of tourists each year. Surrounding these lakes are hundreds of peat polders — low-lying pieces of reclaimed land protected by dikes, around 4,000 of which exist in the Netherlands
#22 Venice, Italy


Venice, Italy, is situated upon 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. After a series of heavy storms, much of the city has been flooded this week as high tide rose to more than 61 inches (156 cm) above average sea level. At least 11 people have been killed due to storms across the country, and flood waters in many of Venice’s streets reached knee height at the beginning of the week. With tide waters expected to rise to perilous levels in the coming decades, the city has constructed 78 giant steel gates across the three inlets through which water from the Adriatic could surge into Venice’s lagoon
#23 The Greater Caucasus Mountains, Situated On The Border Between Russia And Georgia


#24 Seoul, South Korea


Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, with more than 25 million residents in its metropolitan area. Strategically situated on the Han River, Seoul’s history can be traced back more than 2,000 years to 18 BC, when it was founded by members of the Baekje Kingdom. In recent years, the city has experienced massive economic growth and is one of the top 10 wealthiest cities in the world with a GDP of more than $700 billion (USD)
#25 London, Great Britain


Check out this amazing Overview of London at night. As the capital and most populous city in Great Britain, London is also one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. In 2015, it was ranked as the most visited city in the world, with more than 65 million visits
#26 San Francisco, California


DigitalGlobe’s newest satellite, the WorldView-3, was a remarkable 800 miles away over the Pacific Ocean when this Overview was captured. The focal length of the satellite camera is 32 times longer than a standard DSLR camera, making an image like this possible. Within the Overview, many of the city’s landmarks are visible, including the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz, and Golden Gate Park
#27 Sound Of Speed Airshow, Missouri


In this Overview, spectators explore a variety of aircraft during the Sound of Speed Airshow, which took place last weekend at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri. The event included aerial performances and ground displays of dozens of aircraft, including U.S. Navy Blue Angels, C-130 Hercules transporters, P-51 Mustangs, an F-16 Viper, and more
#28 Paris, France


Paris is the capital and most populous city in France, with a population of roughly 2.2 million. Since the 17th century, it has been one of Europe’s major centers of finance, commerce, fashion, science and the arts
#29 The Camp Fire, Northern California


The Camp Fire, which is currently burning in Northern California, has become the deadliest wildfire in state history with a death toll of 42 as of this morning
#30 The Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ohio


The Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest plant in the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, treating roughly 100 million gallons (378 million liters) of wastewater a day. The sewer district’s service area encompasses more than 290 square miles (751 sq. km) and serves a population of more than 850,000
#31 Chongqing, Southwest China


Chongqing is a major city in southwest China with an urban population of nearly 8.2 million. Located along the Jialing (left) and Yangtze (right) Rivers, it serves as one of the most important inland ports in China. Numerous luxury cruise ships terminate at Chongqing, and coal, raw materials and containerized goods also pass through the city aboard cargo ships
#32 Nice, France


Nice is the fifth most populated city in France, with roughly one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area. Located in southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is part of the tourist-popular French Riviera. It has one of the highest hotel capacities in France and is visited by more than four million tourists each year
#33 Kensico Reservoir In The Town Of Valhalla, New York


A bridge crosses the Kensico Reservoir in the town of Valhalla, New York. Located about 15 miles (24 km) north of New York City, the reservoir stores waters received from the Catskill Mountains and provides a site for fishing and boating recreation. With an average depth of nearly 44 feet (13.5 m) and a maximum depth of 120 feet (37 m), it can hold 30 billion gallons (113 billion liters) of water
#34 Chausey, English Channel


Chausey is a group of small islands, islets and rocks in the English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. The archipelago comprises 365 islands at low tide, but only 52 island at high tide. Grande-Île, the main island, is 0.93 miles (1.5 km) long and 0.3 miles (0.5 km) wide at its widest. It is the only inhabited island in the Chausey group, with roughly 30 residents
#35 Southern California Logistics Airport, California


In this Overview, 25 airplanes are parked in a cluster at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. Also known as Victorville Airport, it is home to Southern California Aviation, a large transitional facility for commercial aircraft. No commercial passenger services are offered at the airport except for fixed-based operator and charter flights
#36 Mcmurdo Station, Antarctica


McMurdo Station is a United States research center on the southern tip of Ross Island in Antarctica. It is one of three U.S. Antarctic science facilities and the largest community on the continent, capable of supporting 1,258 residents. It boasts a harbor, three airfields, a heliport, more than 100 buildings, and Antarctica’s only two ATMs
#37 Mossel Bay, South Africa


Mossel Bay is located on the Cape St. Blaize Peninsula, jutting off of South Africa into the Indian Ocean. The harbor town is home to roughly 130,000 people and is recognized as a center for both tourism and agriculture
#38 The Pierce County Container Terminal, Washington


The Pierce County Container Terminal is part of the Port of Tacoma, located in Washington State. The 140-acre (56.7 hectare) facility has two berths totaling 2,087 feet (636 m) in length and seven cranes. Every year, the Port of Tacoma handles between 9 and 13 million tons of cargo and more than $25 billion of commerce

Share

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *