PHOTOS: Satellites take artistic views of Earth

Online Only

February 2, 2013

The accompanying images were taken by NASA satellites and a joint NASA/U.S. Geological Survey satellite, which orbits about 440 miles above Earth collecting data that are used to study changes in land cover, forest growth, water resources and the atmosphere.

Irrigation systems near Garden City, Kansas: Light colors are harvested fields; red are still growing.

The satellites' instruments can take in a much broader range of light than is visible to the human eye; some of the images were made using infrared, red and blue wavelengths that bring out details in the terrain.

Rare rock and ice are bright red in this image of eastern Russia's dormant Anyuyskiy volcano.

The Empty Quarter, in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, is a huge sand desert.

Lake Disappointment, amid sand dunes in western Australia, has salty deposits that look white.

Seventy-five of the images — which span the globe and cover a wide range of terrain — are collected in "Earth As Art," (NASA, $44); they are also available free as an iPad app or an ebook.

Text Only

Online Only

VIDEO: Man hands out Abercrombie clothes on Skid Row in bid to shame brand
Anger has mounted online against clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch due to comments made by its chief executive and its strategy of not making women's clothing in any size above large.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
VIDEO: Deer gets on, off city bus
A CamTran bus picked up an unscheduled passenger on Tuesday evening – a white-tailed deer.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
VIDEO: One by one, homes in Calif. subdivision sinking
Scott and Robin Spivey had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with their home when cracks began snaking across their walls in March. Within two weeks their property dropped 10 feet below the street.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
How to get the most out of your air conditioner this summer
Experts say preventative maintenance on your air conditioner can save you hundreds of dollars.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Feces contaminates 58 percent of public swimming pools
Human feces taints more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.

May 16, 2013 1 Photo
VIDEO: Bombing suspect allegedly wrote confession in boat
Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev allegedly penned a note inside the boat where he was found hiding from authorities, explaining his rationale for his part in the deadly explosion.

May 16, 2013 1 Photo
SLIDESHOW: Texas storms damage homes, uproot trees After a series of tornadoes touched down outside Dallas, residents of many Texas communities are cleaning up.
May 16, 2013 1 Photo
VIDEO: Fake nuns caught with cocaine
Three women wearing nun costumes tried to smuggle more than 12 pounds of cocaine out of Colombia. Police spotted the fake garb right away.

May 14, 2013 1 Photo
Armed pharmacist foils would-be heist
One may have been bluffing about carrying a gun, the other wasn't. Hours after an attempted robbery at a drugstore the suspect was in jail and the pharmacist was left to tell reporters how his day began.

May 14, 2013
More Online Only Headlines