Satellite Images That Show A Different View Of The World

While people are on Earth, there are numerous satellites in space, taking pictures of towns, construction projects, island landscapes, wildfire destruction, and so much more.

To see what images have been captured over the years, beginning back in 1945 with the first satellite image, keep reading and prepared to be amazed.

A Neighborhood In Barcelona, Spain

This is DigitalGlobe satellite imagery of a Barcelona, Spain neighborhood.
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images

While this image looks like a grid of red squares, it is actually a satellite image of a neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain. Famous for its stunning architecture, Barcelona, is home to the magical Sagrada Família church, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Sadly, Gaudí passed away before he saw his creation completed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fiery Cross Reef In The South China Sea

ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1066305368
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

This is an image of the Fiery Cross Reef, located in the South China Sea. The reef is not open to the public, though, as it is militarized by China.

ADVERTISEMENT

Getting its name from the British tea ship Fiery Cross, a clipper ship that was wrecked on the reef back on March 4, 1860.

ADVERTISEMENT

Crop Circles In The Desert Of Saudi Arabia

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1318752682
Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It might sound strange, crop circles in the middle of a desert, but that is exactly what is showcased in this satellite image. Located in the Wadi As-Sirhan Basin in Northern Saudi Arabia, the green circles are, in fact, crop circles!

ADVERTISEMENT

Some of the crops grown in the otherwise barren desert include fruits, vegetables, and wheat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Anak Krakatau Volcano In Indonesia

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1368390367
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2022
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island located in the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, sitting between the islands of Java and Sumatra. An active volcano, Anak Krakatau, has erupted sporadically throughout the years, with its first recorded eruption happening in 1927.

ADVERTISEMENT

The volcano has even been the subject of a tsunami due to a 2018 eruption causing mile-high waves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ocean Flower Island In China

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1367337702
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2022
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Ocean Flower Island, located off the north coast of Danzhou, Hainan, China, is an artificial archipelago that cost a whopping $24 billion. Unfortunately, the construction of the island resulted in the destruction of coral reefs and oyster bays in the area.

ADVERTISEMENT

Still, the questionable nature of the man-made island didn't stop 200,000 visitors from venturing to the island on National Day in 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Large Junction Of The Place Charles De Gaulle

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1142131338
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

This image might look like a side of the Death Star in Star Wars, but it is actually a large junction in Paris, France, called The Place Charles de Gaulle.

ADVERTISEMENT

The junction is the huge meeting of 12 straight avenues throughout the city, including the iconic Champs-Élysées, a street known for its theaters, cafes, and the finish line of the Tour de France.

ADVERTISEMENT

Whitsun Reef In The South China Sea

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1309748794
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

The largest reef in the Union Banks, the Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea stretches in a funky V shape of 3.9 square miles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Before the 1990s, the reef was submerged under the water, and only visible at low tide. By the end of the 20th century, small sand dunes developed on the island, making it visible during all hours of the day.

ADVERTISEMENT

Central Park In New York City

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-452307948
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

New York City is called the concrete jungle for a very good reason -- a vast majority of the landscape is nothing more than roads and sidewalks, with Central Park's greenery covering 843 acres of Manhattan's Upper East Sides.

ADVERTISEMENT

While there are other small parks in the city, Central Park is by far the largest.

ADVERTISEMENT

North Nilandhe Atoll, Maldives

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1319963836
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

Faafu Atoll, also known as North Nilandha Atoll in the Maldives, is not the typical honeymoon destination. This is an administrative island that governs the rest of the gorgeous island chain.

ADVERTISEMENT

People might see the island from the water if they rent a boat for the day. Otherwise, visitors have no need to step foot on the land.

ADVERTISEMENT

New York City At Night

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1332154067
Space Frontiers/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Space Frontiers/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The city that never sleeps, New York is home to over eight million people, all of who cover five boroughs.

ADVERTISEMENT

From space, the satellite imagery captured the city at night, showing that its nickname is well deserved, with pretty much all of Manhattan lit up with gorgeous lights surrounded by the darkness of the Hudson River.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nuclear Test Craters

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1353348064
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

This satellite image might look like a typical coral reef, but it is far from it. Looking closely, readers might notice the two large holes in the darker water.

ADVERTISEMENT

These craters were created by an Enewetak Atoll nuclear test. The testing occurred during the Cold War and cost the United States a fortune to clean up.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Coal Seam Fire In Glenwood Springs, Colorado

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-731146
Courtesy of Space Imaging/Getty Images
Courtesy of Space Imaging/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

On June 8, 2002, the Coal Seam Fire raged through Glenwood Springs, Colorado, burning 29 homes and more than 12,000 acres of land. Residents of the area were evacuated for multiple days by local firefighters as they tried to get the fire under control.

ADVERTISEMENT

It took weeks to put out the blaze.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thermal Image Of The Carr Fire

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1014170074
maps4media via Getty Images
maps4media via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Burning through Redding, California, from July 23, 2018, until August 30, 2018, the Carr Fire wound up burning 229,651 acres of land and destroying 1,604 buildings before it was contained.

ADVERTISEMENT

The fire began due to the sparks of a tire failure from a vehicle. It cost more than $1.659 billion.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chemtool Inc Industrial Fire In Chicago, Illinois

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1323681842
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

Installing a part in the scissor lift at the Chemtool Inc factory in Chicago, Illinois, resulted in a massively destructive fire on June 14, 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a statement, Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson said, "an unknown amount of mineral oil immediately began falling and pooling on the floor in the area of origin...they were in the process of placing containment booms, as well as de-pressuring the heat transfer piping network when the fire ignited."

ADVERTISEMENT

The Arrival Of Hurricane Dorian In The Bahamas

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1165402826
NOAA via Getty Images
NOAA via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The Bahamas are not strangers to massive hurricanes rolling through. On September 1, 2019, a satellite image captured the arrival of Hurricane Dorian to the island chain.

ADVERTISEMENT

While in there, winds reached a whopping 175 miles per hour. Dorian was a category five hurricane and is on record as the most intense tropical cyclone to hit.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Marina Being Constructed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1146138343
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images/Maxar, 38 North via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images/Maxar, 38 North via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

While on the ground, it can be overwhelming to construct massive buildings for people who are not familiar with the inner workings of blueprints. Thankfully, satellite imagery makes it a bit easier for non-architects and designers to comprehend!

ADVERTISEMENT

Here, a marina is being constructed, with numerous docks for boats to come in and out.

ADVERTISEMENT

After The Woolsey Fire In Malibu, California

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1061303978
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Starting on November 8, 2018, the Woolsey Fire ended up burning through 96,949 acres of land throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County in California.

ADVERTISEMENT

This particular infra-red satellite image is the after-effects of Malibu, a community located right on the coast and on either side of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 2018 Burning Man Festival

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1026776042
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Originating in 1983, the Burning Man festival attracts free spirits from all around. A festival of art and self-expression, the participants of the event design and build all of the activities throughout the weekend, the art displayed, and each event.

ADVERTISEMENT

Each year, the festival is located in Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Factory Explosion Outside Of Bangkok

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1327110816
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

On July 5, 2021, a fire began at a plastic pellet manufacturing factory located on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. Beginning at three in the morning, the explosion was so fierce that windows exploded in nearby homes.

ADVERTISEMENT

The satellite image above shows the black smoke billowing from the factory building.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Camp Fire In Paradise, California

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1082972216
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

All of the red in this satellite image is the fires from the Camp Fire in Paradise, California. The most destructive wildfire in the history of the state, the Camp Fire, started on Thursday, November 8, 2018, and burned through 153,336 acres.

ADVERTISEMENT

The costliest natural disaster of 2018, the Camp Fire costs wracked up to $16.65 billion.