Thursday, June 19, 2014

14 amazing photos taken from outer space


New York Post - It’s a view few earth-dwellers experience on a daily basis: our home planet as seen from above.

Astronauts dubbed the mind-altering perspective of observing the earth from outer space the “overview effect” – and a new website inspired by that name is bringing out-of-this-world images straight to your computer screen.

Not to be mistaken with abstract art, these breathtaking photos from the Daily Overview are satellite images of the earth captured from DigitalGlobe – the same company that provides images for Apple Maps, Caters News reports.

Every day the website posts a new satellite shot taken from a different corner of the globe. Previous posts include an aerial view of the geometrical Billie Jean King Tennis Center, the green-and-gray beauty of Central Park and the vibrant tulip fields of Lisse, Netherlands.

Each photo reveals how humans have manipulated the earth’s surface, creating dazzling patterns and designs that can’t be appreciated with two feet on the ground.

“[T]he Overviews (what we call these images) focus on the places and moments where human activity—for better or for worse—has shaped the landscape,” the website’s mission statement reads.

“Each Overview starts with a thought experiment. We consider the places where man has left his mark on the planet and then conduct the necessary research to identify locations (and the corresponding geo-coordinates) to convey that idea.”

View the Slideshow!