July 17, 2017 - Eyes on Earth

Eyes on Earth The longest continuous space-based observation of Earth’s surface and natural resources began forty-five years ago this week. Since 1972, the Landsat series of satellites has collected millions of multi-spectral images that make it possible to study the long-term environmental effects of everything from natural coastal erosion to urban sprawl. The image above was taken by Landsat 8, the most recent descendent of the original Landsat satellite. It shows the biologically complex conditions of mangroves, shown in dark green, along the fingers of the Ord River in Australia. Yellow, orange, and blue represent the impressive flow patterns of sediment and nutrients in this tropical estuary. The bright spot at the lower left is an area of mudflats, which is home to saltwater crocodiles.

Image credit: USGS EROS Digital Image Gallery / NASA

Weekly Calendar

July 17-23, 2017

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 17

1850: John Adams Whipple takes first stellar photograph (Vega)
1970: Final HL-10 lifting body flight
1975: Apollo-Soyuz dock in orbit
1984: Soyuz T-12 launched, 100th human space flight

Tuesday 18

1921: John Glenn born
1966: Gemini X launched
1980: India becomes seventh nation to launch its own satellite

Wednesday 19

Aldebaran 0.4° south of Moon

1846: Edward Pickering born
1967: Explorer 35 launched
1985: NASA selects Christa McAuliffe as first teacher to travel in space

Thursday 20

Venus 3° north of Moon

1969: Apollo 11 astronauts become first humans walk on Moon
1976: Viking 1 lands on Mars
1999: Liberty Bell 7 capsule recovered from Atlantic Ocean after 38 years