11 Jul 5 Impressive Man-Made Features visible from Space

Have you ever wondered what the astronauts on board the International Space Station can actually see on the Earth’s surface when they look out the window? Though most of Earth distinct features are recognizable, such as mountains, lakes and even islands, which man-made structures can they spot, even if they’re behind a camera?

“The only thing you can see from the Moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white… Some blue… Yellow… And every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible at this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth’s orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either.” – NASA Astronaut Alan Bean, 1980

Here are five of the most impressive examples of Earth from Space views as seen using satellite images of various locations!

1. The Great Pyramids at Giza – Egypt

Source: NASA – 25/07/2012

2. The Greenhouses of Almería – Spain

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Source: NASA – 07/02/2004

3. The Bingham Canyon Mine – Alaska, USA

ISS015-E-29867_lrg

Source – NASA – 20/09/2007

4. The Palm Islands at Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Palm and World Islands at Dubai – Source: NASA – 08/02/2010

5. City Lights – Worldwide

City lights are without a doubt the most prominent man-made feature on Earth visible from Space, like this satellite image so beautifully displays:

Paris by Night – Source: NASA – 08/04/2015