It"s Earth Day today and we are high above the blue marble looking down on the border between Arkansas and Mississippi. Those small, blocky shapes are towns, fields, and pastures, and the teal green is the mighty Mississippi River. Anyone who has flown in the window seat of an airplane and gazed down at Earth below might wonder why the colors in this image look so unreal. That"s because they are. This image was taken in 2013 by Landsat 7, a NASA satellite that uses thermal infrared sensors to help scientists better distinguish flora, fauna, water, and manmade objects. For almost 50 years, NASA has been using satellite imagery to understand how climate change and population growth are affecting our fragile planet. These satellites help NASA see where deforestation and wildfires are happening, where glaciers are melting, and how rising waters are encroaching on cities.
Gazing down on planet Earth
Today in History
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Arambol Beach, Goa, India
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Rockin with the rockhoppers
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Ukrainian Independence Day
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A bridge comes full circle
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An island in the Highlands
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International Day for Monuments and Sites
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Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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World Poetry Day
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Float on
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Boating on the Bojo
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Autumn in Alaska
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First day of summer
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Back on the rise
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A big birthday for Big Bend
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The tortoise and the finch
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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
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A visionary artist paints his own garden view
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A legend and a legendary home
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Alstrom Point, Lake Powell, Utah
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National Park Service Founders Day
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Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel
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From garden to table?
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Winterpret on ice
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Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
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A new tradition in London
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Pi Day
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Happy Halloween!
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Kluane National Park
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I m here! Take a look at me!
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