Digital Publishing

In honor of Earth Day we invite you to take a minute and marvel at the beauty of the Earth.  One way to do this- explore satellite images of the Earth through one of NASA’s digital publishing ventures.  In late 2012 NASA published a book called Earth as Art.  The book is available for free download in PDF format.  NASA also created a free iPad App for the book.

In the book’s foreword, NASA Earth Scientist and editor of the volume Lawrence Friedl eloquently states:

“In 1960, the United States put its first Earth-observing environmental satellite into orbit around the planet. Over the decades, these satellites have provided invaluable information, and the vantage point of space has provided new perspectives on Earth. This book celebrates Earth’s aesthetic beauty in the patterns, shapes, colors, and textures of the land, oceans, ice, and atmosphere. Earth-observing environmental satellites can measure outside the visible range of light, so these images show more than what is visible to the naked eye. The beauty of Earth is clear, and the artistry ranges from the surreal to the sublime. Truly, by escaping Earth’s gravity we discovered its attraction.”

Here is a selection screen shots from the App.  We highly recommend you check it out.  Happy Earth Day!

Bombetoka Bay, Madagascar

Bogda Mountains, China

Lena River Delta, Russia

Himalayas, Central Asia

Garden City, Kansas, United States