December 3, 2013 1:13 PM EST
D igital Globe, a provider of commercial satellite pictures, gathers 1 billion square kilometers of Earth imagery every year. That’s nearly enough to cover the globe twice — and some of it is downright beautiful. Several years ago, employees at the Colorado-based organization decided to pick their favorite to share Earth’s beauty with the public. This year, they’ve collected 20 awe-inspiring scenes, and they want you to pick your favorite of the bunch.
Their picks can be seen above, and you can vote for your favorite on DigitalGlobe’s Facebook page .
Aleppo, Syria, May 26, 2013 – The Citadel of Aleppo – medieval fortified palace DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Belfast, Northern Ireland, Nov. 3, 2013 – “Wish,” a large-scale art work DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Utah, USA, April 22, 2013 – Colorado River DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Cuanza River, Angola, April 28, 2013 – Cambambe Dam DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Doha, Qatar, March 4, 2013 – Artificial island spanning nearly four million sq meters. DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Dunalley, Australia, Jan. 6, 2013 – fires, false color image (red = healthy vegetation) DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Australia, April 22, 2013 – Great Barrier Reef DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Gwadar coast, Pakistan Sept. 29, 2013 – new island created by earthquake in Pakistan DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Croatia, Feb. 16, 2013 – Galešnjak (Island of Love) DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Hong Kong, China May 9, 2013 – giant rubber duck DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2013 – Manam Volcano DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Namib Desert, Namibia, May 13, 2013 – Sossusvlie area DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Naples, Italy, Feb. 19 2013 – Mount Vesuvius DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Niger, Feb. 13, 2013 – Arlit Uranium Mine DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Schooner Cays, Bahamas, May 26, 2013 DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Sochi, Russia, March 17, 2013 – Site of 2014 winter Olympics DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Near the city of Sur, Oman, Feb. 13, 2013 – massive “green tide” DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Valencia, Spain, July 19, 2013 – Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and Gulliver Park with an enormous fiberglass model of Lemuel Gulliver trapped DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Versailles, France, Aug. 20, 2013 – Palace of Versailles DigitalGlobe—Getty Images Xi'an, China, Sept. 24, 2013 – Shiyuan Park DigitalGlobe—Getty Images More Must-Reads From TIME Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work? Why We're Spending So Much Money Now The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time