Dazzling Photographs of Earth From Above
Satellite images of mountains, glaciers, deserts and other landscapes become incredible works of art
![Earth-as-Art-Icelandic-Tiger-631.jpg](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/WpYs3O2Rj7BFQp-jm0vJgRb5Cog=/1000x750/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Icelandic-Tiger-631.jpg)
Icelandic Tiger (October 21, 1999)
![Icelandic Tiger](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/DRNZLR4CZKY8IJH1KOF359T5eAI=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Icelandic-Tiger-1.jpg)
Everyone at USGS who works with Landsat data has a favorite photo, and that led to the idea of gathering a collection of favorites to share with the public, says Ronald Beck, a USGS public information specialist who has worked with the Landsat Program for 37 years. Beck’s favorite in the new exhibit, the third installment of “Earth as Art,” is Icelandic Tiger. The “tiger” is part of Iceland’s northern coast, and its mouth is the fjord called Eyjafjorour, meaning “Island Fjord.” The name refers to the small island the tiger is about to eat.
Van Gogh From Space (July 13, 2005)
![Van Gogh From Space](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/s4QJqOs3Wr_AUQyuzQlZreFqM8M=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Van-Gogh-from-Space-2.jpg)
Byrd Glacier (January 11, 2000)
![Byrd Glacier](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/UaBIVzbtUjRRSagUeYuyBZnGJJI=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Byrd-Glacier-3.jpg)
Although the images for the exhibit were selected for their aesthetic value, they provide an opportunity to educate people about how scientists use satellite imagery to study the earth, says Ronald Beck, a USGS information specialist. For example, researchers can use satellites to track how glaciers change over time.
The Dardzha Monster (February 11, 2001)
![The Dardzha Monster](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/FBklK4Kzhz1VsydXV8GDYDBVcYk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-The-Dardzha-Monster-4.jpg)
Island Rebound (September 6, 2007)
![Island Rebound](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/bjxzxzk7Eonxzj73Mq1N1rSVeK4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Island-Rebound-5.jpg)
Lake Eyre (August 5, 2006)
![Lake Eyre](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/VYyK3kt-w6TD_Anj21-mi41TwdY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Lake-Eyre-6.jpg)
Meandering Mississippi
![Meandering Mississippi](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/aWneEi23_1wODY800SCa8F8F3wg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Meandering-Mississippi-7.jpg)
The creamy orange mosaic of farm fields, pastures and towns on the border of Arkansas and Mississippi is interrupted by the circuitous strokes of the teal Mississippi River. Here the river takes an especially windy path to the Gulf of Mexico, forming numerous oxbow lakes. These U-shaped lakes occur when a loop in the river’s path gets cut off from the main channel.
Okavango Delta (April 27, 2009)
![Okavango Delta](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/8Yg43R3tD9l6iq3fFz4S2xa7jH0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Okavango-Delta-8.jpg)
Spilled Paint (February 10, 2003)
![Spilled Paint](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/PECmy-Ct0DKzuMb6_-HTGKFCF1g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Spilled-Paint-9.jpg)
Great Barrier Reef (August 8, 1999)
![Great Barrier Reef](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/JQmhr_OYjc-surzCWV7bwDar2Po=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Earth-as-Art-Great-Barrier-Reef-10.jpg)