The lidless eyes of the satellites circle the Earth, looking down upon the surface. The images that satellites like the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat 7 become instant feedback about our effect on the planet, how the Earth is shaped by processes both human and natural. But as this collection of photos from an exhibition at the Library of Congress in Washington shows, satellite image can be made into art as well. Band combinations and shades in these Landsat images were optimized to dramatize their appearance, to show off the colors and the contrasts of the Earth. The result is breathtaking.
The Earth as Art: Satellite Images of Our Planet from Orbit
USGA / NASA
ICELAND - This stretch of Iceland's northern coast resembles a tiger's head complete with stripes of orange, black, and white. The tiger's mouth is the Eyjafjorour fjord that juts into the mainland between steep mountains. The name means "island fjord," derived from the tiny, tear-shaped Hrisey Island near its mouth