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Observing the Earth Archive

Observing the Earth

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Competitors of the Vendée Globe sailing race are now nearing the finishing point, but while they were near the treacherous iceberg-infested waters of the Southern Ocean they remained relatively safe thanks to satellite observations.

Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tanezrouft Basin – one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara Desert.

The heavy snowfall that hit Spain a few days ago still lies heavy across much of the country as this Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image shows.

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of Madrid in Spain appears to have been taken in black and white. In fact, it is a true-colour image – but the heaviest snowfall in 50 years has blanketed the region, turning the landscape white.

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland, just in time for Christmas.

Heavy snowfall in the Alps has been recorded over the past weeks. The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission captured this image of the snow-covered Alps on 14 December.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Kyiv – the capital and most populous city of Ukraine.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Banks Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand.

All eyes remain on the giant A-68A iceberg on its journey across the Southern Ocean. This image shows A-68A’s movements over the past 15 days using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3 missions.

Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, is featured in this snowy image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

An enormous iceberg, called A-68A, has made headlines over the past weeks as it drifts towards South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. New images show the berg is rotating and potentially drifting westwards.

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite lifts off on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Launch Complex at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, US.

After countless simulations and a dress rehearsal, ESA's flight control team are ready for liftoff

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features the Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, where the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will soon launch from.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Darmstadt – home to ESA’s European Space Operations Centre.

Giant berg on collision course with South Georgia

Greece’s largest and most populous island, Crete, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

For this year’s Halloween, we bring you an image from space of Siberia’s Batagaika Crater – dubbed the Gateway to Hell.

All 1200 islands that make up the Republic of Maldives are featured in this spectacular image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3.

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission takes us over the Ganges Delta – the world’s largest river delta.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Zeeland – the westernmost province in the Netherlands.

Part of the Laguna San Rafael National Park, located on the Pacific coast of southern Chile, is pictured in this image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over New York City – the most populous city in the United States.

Copernicus Sentinel-2 takes us over the Tarawa Atoll in the Republic of Kiribati – a remote Pacific nation threatened by rising seas.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Vatnajökull ice cap, in southeast Iceland.

Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image of the Mediterranean hurricane, or ‘Medicane,’ crossing the Ionian Sea and approaching Greece yesterday 17 September.

Satellite data help climbers ascend Mount Everest

Spalte break up

Captured on 10 September 2020, this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows thick smoke blanketing the US west coast.

This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1, shows the Amazon River meandering through one of the most vital ecosystems in the world – the Amazon rainforest in South America.

ESA is pleased to invite you to participate in its third edition of the Φ-Week event

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea, along the west coast of India.

A rare, cloud-free view of Iceland is visible in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission on 14 August 2020.

Captured on 19 August 2020, this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows the extent of the smoke from fires currently ablaze in California, US.

Satellite images are being used to monitor the oil spill off the coast of Mauritius.

The many colourful curves and folds of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia are featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The Falkland Islands are featured in this radar image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

Utah’s Great Salt Lake and its surroundings are featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over the busy maritime traffic in the Bay of Naples, in southern Italy.

The Maldives are featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

On Asteroid Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Roter Kamm impact crater in Namibia.

The Andes mountains, in southern Peru, are featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Great Rift Valley, Kenya.

A new online platform that allows for the tracking of air pollution worldwide is now available to the public.

This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission, takes us over the green algae blooms swirling around the Baltic Sea.

This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2, takes us over part of Channel Country – a pastural region located mostly in southwest Queensland, Australia.

Images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission show the extent of the Arctic Circle oil spill

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of Abu Dhabi – one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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