21 incredible images of our world snapped from space
Sometimes the world can be a much more revealing place if you take the time to see things from different angle. These incredible angled images captured by Planet Labs SkySat satellites reveal the world from 280 miles up, showing off the contours of our amazing planet.
This fantastic imagery gives the impression of 3D mapping rather than photos and some will make you look twice.
Planet Labs does some incredible work when it comes to satellite imagery. The company operates a mass of satellites in regular orbit of the planet capturing and broadcasting photos in near real-time. This also allows for some pretty impressive time-lapse imagery like this video of the Apple Campus being constructed.
We’ve gathered some of the best images to show you just how impressive our planet is, even from all those miles above the surface. Be sure to take a look at the full gallery to see more.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora is surrounded by a barrier reef and looks particularly awesome from space.
You may know this place by name, but did you know Bora Bora is a volcanic island surrounded by barrier reef? The centre of these islands holds the remnants of an extinct volcano and is famed for its luxury resorts and bounty of coconut trees.
This satellite image captures the beauty of the islands and their surroundings and shows a new angle you’ve no doubt never seen in holiday snaps.
Gasherbrum Massif, Pakistan
“Gasherbrum” means “beautiful mountain” and from space it sure is easy to see why.
This photo captures a group of three of the world’s 8,000-metre peak mountains that are situated in Pakistan.
“Gasherbrum” means “beautiful mountain” and from this angle it’s easy to see why.
Osaka, Japan
Osaka is home to over two and a half million people with a high-population density in such a small space.
Most of the land in Japan is made up of forested and mountainous regions that are unsuitable for residential living. The result is the main areas where people live – in the coastal towns and cities – have high population densities and are made up of sprawling man-made concrete jungles.
Osaka is the third largest city in Japan and home to over two and a half million people. The skyline is dominated by giant skyscrapers which appear tiny and insignificant in this photo captured from over 200 miles up. Large port facilities can be seen on the waterways and large bridges cross the rivers. It’s hard to imagine how much human activity is captured in this single photo – with millions of people going about their daily lives.
Houston, Texas
Some of the shots of bit cities almost look fake when viewed this way. The high-rise skyscrapers in Houston are certainly impressive.
Houston’s skyline is dominated by high-rise skyscrapers towering over the city buildings below.
Green grass and miles of roadways make up the rest of the landscape. The careful eye though will spot the open roof of Minute Maid Park the local baseball stadium and sports attraction for the masses.
Deccan Traps, India
This is said to be one of the largest volcanic features on our planet. It’s certainly an impressive sight from this high up.
The Deccan Traps in India are said to be one of the largest volcanic features on our planet.
It is thought that these features began to form over 66 million years ago when a series of volcanic eruptions began changing the surrounding landscape. The shapes visible in this photo show the lava flows that are more than 2,000 metres thick. From this angle, the Deccan Traps look even more impressive.
Blue Mountains, Australia
The Blue Mountains are home to the Three Sisters rocks. You rarely get to see this area of Oz from up here.
A short 30-mile trip north-west of Sydney puts you in the rugged Blue Mountain region with steep mountain cliffs, eucalyptus forests, incredible waterfalls and numerous tourist hotspots sprawling all around the National Park.
This area is also home to the famous Three Sisters rock formation – a natural occurrence created by erosion of the cliffs by wind, rain and rivers.
Shanghai, China
Hard to believe that images like this are captured by satelittles.
This close view of Shanghai’s Pudong district captures the flow and bends of the Yellow River as well as the Oriental Pearl Tower.
This image shows how capable the Planet satellites are at snapping images of our world, even close up, despite being all those miles above the surface.
Nadir view of Monte Fitz Roy, Chile and Argentina
Captured from this angle it’s hard to appreciate the sheer size of this mountain range but it look looks might impressive.
Another view of a mountain range shows the impressive shadows cast by their sheer size and yet fails to capture the full magnificence as the side-on view.
The power here though, lies in the capabilities of the Planet satellites and the company’s abilities to capture images of our planet from a variety of angles, zoom levels and more.
Mount Etna, Italy
Mount Etna is the second-most active volcano on Earth but from space it seems peaceful and serene.
Another impressive volcanic mountain range captured by Planet’s satellites. Mount Etna is the second-most active volcano on Earth and can be seen erupting regularly with occasional lava flow spilling out onto the snow-covered slopes. This activity is beneficial to the surrounding area as the fertile volcanic soils supports agricultural growth in nearby vineyards and orchards.
From orbit, the activity can be seen in all its majesty, but this snap simply shows a peaceful snow-covered mountain range in the beautiful surroundings of Sicily.
Salto Angel, Venezuela
Angel Falls is one of the top tourist attractions of Venezuela it’s hard to reach on the ground but easy to see from here.
From some of the tallest mountains and volcanoes in the world, to the world’s tallest waterfall, the Planet satellites capture them all.
The waters from these falls drop nearly 1,000 metres and on particularly windy days the waters turn into a fine mist blowing across the area. In this aerial photo, you can see the whispy waterfall at the edge of the mountain range.
Salto Angel, also known as Angel Falls is one of the top tourist attractions of the area but also a tricky place to reach as its surrounded by deep jungle and requires a river trip to get to.
From this high up, this huge waterfall is almost tiny and insignificant.
Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is the well-known home of Table Mountain – as well as being one of the world’s most photogenic coastal cities. This flat-topped mountain formation is one of the most prominent landmarks of the area and a tourist mecca. From the top of the mountain, you can also see wonderful panoramic views of City spread out below and the surrounding national park.
The satellite view captures the impressive landscape from a new angle and shows the wonder of nature and man-made structure combined.
São Paulo, Brazil
This view is home to nearly 12 million people and makes up the largest city in the Americas.
This striking view of São Paulo, Brazil looks almost like a 3D rendered map rather than an aerial photograph.
Tall apartment blocks jut skyward, with villas and homes stretching out as far as the eye can see. This view is home to nearly 12 million people and makes up the largest city in the Americas.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This design and layout of Riyadh certainly makes for an interesting and unusual view from space.
Riyadh is Saudi Arabia’s capital it’s also known for its small smatterings of enormous skyscrapers surrounded by much smaller sprawling developments.
This city design makes for an interesting and unusual view from space. With the 302m-high Kingdom Centre building visible in the middle of the district.
Doha, Qatar
From above these islands look almost computer generated but we can assure you they are very real.
Doha is the Capital city of Qatar and includes a man-made island where extensive land reclamation has made way for increased development to hold a population close to 1.5 million.
From above these islands look almost computer generated but we can assure you they are very real. This satellite image neatly captures the landscape, including the shadows cast by the impressive skyscrapers at the very edge.
Earth’s hurricanes
These remote views of our world also highlight when there are extreme weather conditions brewing in the atmosphere.
This vision of our home planet was captured in 2017. It shows several large hurricanes brewing over the Atlantic Ocean.
The vision was made possible with the use of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on Suomi-NPP. It shows an amazing view of our world and the incredible weather formations that regularly grace our atmosphere.
Oblique view of Monte Fitz Roy
This oblique view of Monte Fitz Roy almost plays havoc with the eyes. Majestic, yet oddly confusing when viewed this way.
This oblique view of Monte Fitz Roy almost plays havoc with the eyes.
The mountains rise strikingly over the lakes below jutting at a jaunty angle. These snowy mountains are located in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile and make up the Andes mountain range.
Zion National Park, United States
The Zion Canyon stretches onwards for 15 miles and cuts as deep as half a mile with the Virgin River cutting through below. This snap does it some justice.
Seen from this angle, the peaks and troughs of the Zion National Park can be appreciated for their marvellous majesty. The Zion Canyon stretches onwards for 15 miles and in places cuts as deep as half a mile with the Virgin River cutting through below.
In this photo, you can see smatterings of snow on the peaks and the winding riverbed below. A small sample of the landscape which includes mountains, canyons, mesas, monoliths and more. This area of Utah is home to a wide range of plant and animal life including nearly 300 different species of bird, 75 mammals (including many, many bats) and various reptiles too.
As impressive on the ground as it is from space.
Klyuchevskaya Volcano, Russia
This volcano’s first recorded eruption dates all the way back to 1697 and it’s been active ever since.
This snap shows off the majesty of the Klyuchevskaya Volcano, the highest mountain in the Kamchatka Peninsula and the most active volcano in the local area. This volcano’s first recorded eruption dates all the way back to 1697 and it’s been active ever since.
The Klyuchevskaya Volcano regularly spews ash and gas clouds forth from its summit, often thousands of metres into the air – a real nightmare for local aviation. From orbit, this Volcano certainly holds some majesty.
Bilbao, Spain
Michelin-star restaurants, the world’s first transporter bridge and more make Bilbao the place to visit.
The town of Bilbao is a centre of Spanish art, culture and cuisine. It is famous for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao which is home to great works of modern and contemporary art but is most well-known for its architectural design.
Michelin-star restaurants, the world’s first transporter bridge and more make Bilbao the place to visit. From above, the estuary of the Nervión is clearly visible cutting through the middle of the town while green mountains surround the outside.
Sierrita Mine
During the mining of valuable metals, there are remnants of the ore left in the area that needs to be carefully managed. Photos like this help engineers do so.
Sierrita is an open-pit copper and molybdenum mining complex and these aerial images of it help manage the surroundings.
During the mining of valuable metals, there are remnants of the ore left in the area that needs to be carefully managed. Photos like this help engineers manage the so-called tailings in an efficient way.
Athabasca River Delta
The waters of the river have been tinted brown by tannins on their way through the river. The result is what looks like a river which has grown roots.
This incredible photo shows Canada’s Saskatchewan Province and the Athabasca River flowing into a lake.
The photo hasn’t been manipulated, instead, the waters of the river have been tinted brown by tannins on their way through the river. The result is what looks like a river which has grown roots.
