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These Are the Best Satellite Images From 2011

Jan. 13, 2012 1:29pm Liz Klimas

DigitalGlobe, a commercial vendor of earth imagery and geospatial products, hosted a satellite imagery contest from 20 of its most stunning shots taken during the 2011. Using Facebook and user likes, DigitalGlobe narrowed the list to the five most liked and then polled its audience to pick the best of the bunch.

The winner (see below) is the Rakaia River in New Zealand. According to DigitalGlobe, the Rakaia is one of the largest “braided” rivers in the country, composed of a network of channels.

DigitalGlobe Announces Top Satellite Image for 2011

Rakaia River (Image: Digital Globe via Facebook)

Here are some of the runners up:

Chinese aircraft carrier Varyag on the Yellow Sea for its second sea trial was voted into second place. (Image: DigitalGlobe via Facebook)

Palm Island in Dubai was voted in at number three. (Image: DigitalGlobe via Facebook)

Mauna Loa Volcano is one of the largest, most active volcanoes on Earth. (Image: DigitalGlobe via Facebook)

Society Islands in French Polynesia. (Image: DigitalGlobe via Facebook)

DigitalGlobe was inducted into the Space Foundation’s Hall of Fame last year for its role in commercial Earth-imaging satellites. The Longmont, Colo., company’s image gallery has more than 2 billion square kilometers of satellite imagery — the largest high-resolution collection of commercial imagery in the world, according to its website. According to DigitalGlobe, it has the ability to collect 700 million square kilometers of imagery each year. The company maintains several generations of commercial satellites and states on its website that it will launch a fourth satellite in 2014.

For more 2011 satellite images from DigitalGlobe, including the wildfires in Bastrop, Texas, flooding in Bangkok, Thailand, and Ground Zero, check out DigitalGlobe’s Facebook page.

[H/T Daily Mail]

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Comments (66)

jespasinthru
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:41pm
Howcome the Badlands Guardian wasn’t there? It’s hundreds of miles big, a perfect human male profile dug down into the Canadian wastelands. He looks like a Toltec, with headdress and all. Until Google Earth came along, nobody even knew it was there except the local exquimas population. One of the things that make this geological anomaly so cool is that it looks convex from the air, when it is actually concave. In other words it looks like a mountain, but it’s actually a very deep hole. Google it, and you will see what I mean.

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- FieldHouseFishHouse
  Posted on January 14, 2012 at 1:54am
  That is cool.
  
  Report this comment
- grannyrecipe
  Posted on January 14, 2012 at 9:03am
  That is amazing JESPASINTHRU, thanks!
  
  Report this comment
CulperGang
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:24pm
The absoute best picture would be: Obama, Holder, Pelosi, Reid, Geithner, Bernanke/GreenSpan/Hillary Clinton ALL ON A DAISY CHAIN on the step of the Capitol at GUN POINT by the US MARINES!

Second best: Dr. Ron Paul taking the Oath for Office of the President of the United States on the steps of the Capitol.

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FreshlyWoken
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:13pm
Odd that the same computer programs that show the earth is heating up, can’t tell me what the weather will be on Thursday accurately. Yet, we are supposed to change our whole economic system on this BS. Plus…’they’ say the earth has warmed by 0.8 degrees in the last one hundred years. Does anyone else see this as incredibly stable…or is it just me?

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- JJ Coolay
  Posted on January 15, 2012 at 2:56am
  Nope, it’s not just you.
  
  Report this comment
poverty.sucks
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 9:40pm
In my opinion, the best satellite images of 2011 would be Taliban camps before/after bombings.

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Dug2Dark
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:01pm
Oh, just wondering. Can barry”s ears or moochie’s **** be seen from outer space???

Between his ears & her ****, no wonder they have to take separate plans.

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- TROONORTH
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:24pm
  The above conversations are an interesting illustration of how the global warming believers have basically abandoned their “man made” stance and adopted only the “global warming” part. There is little doubt that the climate is warming as it has numerous times before and will again. However, the “man made” part cannot be proven irrefutably and the longer we wait the harder it is to prove. Sorry Al. Go eat something.
  
  Report this comment
4xeverything
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 7:14pm
If you look very closely at the first picture, you can see me mooning you. Just north of the river and to the left.

Now slap yourself for going back to check.

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- FormerLib
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:08pm
  “Mauna Loa Volcano is one of the largest, most active volcano’s on Earth. (Image: DigitalGlobe via Facebook)”
  
  “Volcano’s”? Doesn’t any use editors or spell check anymore?
  
  Report this comment
Gatornate
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:58pm
Thanks for all the laughs all of you,especially Harry assenback I almost peed my pants!

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- Harry Assenback
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 7:39pm
  Hey Gator! In the Obamanation all we can do is laugh because the price of Duct Tape has gone through the roof my friend.
  
  Report this comment
Red Falcon
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:52pm
@JOHN KOENIG, but ALL imagery satellites are in low earth orbit; No more than 1200 miles from earth, and they are not geosynchronous.

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LRC
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:56pm
That Palm Island picture is ugly…who voted on these things?

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- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:17pm
  .
  I’d vote the Chinese carrier first.
  It was a secret, and it’s moving.
  Good job, space shooters.
  
  Report this comment
- Reggabaet
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:32pm
  Glad to see that the Chinese are using our USD to build such a great ship!!! We should all be wondering WHY the Chinese would need such a ship and which country it MIGHT be used against??? WAKE UP FOLKS!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- FreedomPurveyor
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:53pm
  “Glad to see that the Chinese are using our USD to build such a great ship!!!”
  
  Well I wouldn’t really say they built it, they started with an unfinished Soviet carrier
  
  Report this comment
abbygirl1994
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:08pm
Wow, lush and green… hey Al baby, where’s the global warming.. You just fleeced the world.. and really we need to see more of these pictures to prove that your a liar. God help us!

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- SekndAmendment
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:49pm
  You honestly believe that a few pictures of greenery debunks the global warming theory??? You can argue global warming of you’d like, but if pictures of trees are the basis for your argument then you have done nothing but prove your own idiocy. Maybe invest a bit in a college education, preferably in a scientific field.
  
  Report this comment
- SekndAmendment
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:50pm
  P.s. “your” does not mean the same thing as “you’re”
  
  Report this comment
- TomFerrari
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:01pm
  Actually, co2 HELPS plants grow.
  It is the arrogant who claim they know what temperature the earth SHOULD be.
  
  Report this comment
- Reggabaet
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:30pm
  If climate change does exist, which as change is constant, there is no doubt that some type of change is happening, it should not be tied to money. Citizens of the world should not be forced, once again to pay money to a few selected elites!
  
  Report this comment
- Toxic Pirate
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:56pm
  Gun Nut …Leave Abby Girl alone, We’ve all made mistakes with the English language and its twists and turns, look at the i before e rule that never applies consistenlty. College education to learn about how man controlls everything? You probably work for that sacm branch of Government NOAA. And what about that volcano how do you want to plug that up genisus ? Since man controlls everything.
  
  Report this comment
- Toxic Pirate
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:58pm
  Scam lol
  
  Report this comment
- JohnHW
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 5:05pm
  For SekndAmendment.
  
  I would say from your comments that you smoked your way through college. Yes, there is climate change, but very very very very little is caused by humans. The volcano puts out more toxic gases that all humans. Also, when you take into account the difference of atmospheres, Mars has the same amount of climate change as Earth. Most change is caused by – wait for it – THE SUN. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
  
  Report this comment
- DEITY
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 5:58pm
  Yep,Al Gore also said by 2010 the East and West Coast would be flooded !
  
  No such thing as man made Global Warming,and the little warming that happened is all natural.Remember there were no cars in the ice-age.Funny,people assume higher education makes them smarter but actually Universities/Colleges brain wash you into the far left way of thinking,and tell you a bunch of biased false facts,especially about the environment.Scientists agree man made global warming is made up/fake,e-mails proved it.
  
  They keep saying tree’s are dissapearing but the earth is greener today than ever before,in most cities you cannot cut down or even trim bushes (resulting in bigger forest fires,brush fires and they blame global warming its just a lack of maint.),and the c02 from vehicles makes the earth greener,thats why I drive a old 1960′s car and a new full size truck as daily transportation,I am doing my part on keeping the Earth green by driving big powerful V-8′s daily and let them idle for 20 minutes to fully warm up in the morning !!
  
  Report this comment
- SekndAmendment
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:29pm
  @JOHNHW
  First off, I don’t smoke pot or any other type of leaf. Nobody smokes their way through a masters program in mechanical engineering. Secondly, the fact that you would rant about volcanos producing “toxic” gases shows me how little you truly understand about the greenhouse effect. It’s not a matter of the gases being toxic (water vapor is a greenhouse gas, look it up) but rather insulating against reflected E.M. radiation trying to leave earth. Global warming is simply a study of energy balance and its transfer mechanisms. Since you’ve probably never taken a course on intermediate heat transfer or thermodynamics I won’t expect you to understand the processes involved. It’s much more complicated than simple CO2 emmissions, volcanos and solar energy intensity fluctuations.
  
  @TOXIC PIRATE
  I don’t work for NOAA. I design rockets for the government. You could call me a Rocket Scientist. As for mankind “controlling” everything, I would have to disagree with you. We merely manipulate nature in such a manner that we are able to exploit it for our benefit. If you take issue with that, feel free to give me your house, car, computer, and the rest of your possesions and I’ll show you a pretty place in the forest where you can live in a cave eating raw meat (no fire to cook it, that’s “controlling” a combustion reaction). As for plugging Mauna Loa…who said anything about that!? I would never even suggest it. Hawaii is my favorite place to vacation.
  
  Report this comment
- SekndAmendment
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 7:37pm
  @DEITY
  
  I have a formal education…and don’t believe global warming is a result of man’s actions. You err in assuming that I’m an Al Gore sympathizer. The earth’s CO2 cycle has periodic crashes that occur every 100,000 years or so. Those crashes correspond with ice ages almost perfectly and the fluctuations in CO2 concentrations in parts per million during one of those crashes is thousands of times greater than the combined effect of human activity over the last 2,000 years.
  Is my lofty education ruining my brain or converting me into a liberal? Far from it. The only adverse symptom of intelligence is the intolerance of stupidity.
  
  Report this comment
- INOGAWD
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:03pm
  @Reggabaet
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:30pm
  If climate change does exist, which as change is constant, there is no doubt that some type of change is happening, it should not be tied to money. Citizens of the world should not be forced, once again to pay money to a few selected elites!
  
  Has made FatManBearPig a milti-billionaire……
  
  Report this comment
- panders99
  Posted on January 15, 2012 at 11:37am
  Hey SekndAmendment
  
  If you are going to correct other people’s typo’s you should probably check yours first.
  
  “You can argue global warming of you’d like…” Obviously “of” is not the same thing as “if.”
  
  I’m just sayin’….
  
  Report this comment
JLGunner
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:49pm
I must say, of all the satellite immages that I’ve seen in 2011, these are by far the best. (((smell the sarcasm)))

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countryfirst
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:46pm
What about the massive sink hole that are money is being throw into?

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- Porkchop_sw
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:18pm
  Do you mean Washington DC by any chance? the Stink Hole?
  
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nysteve
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:45pm
Really? Who voted these the best?

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- Pontiac
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:55pm
  [638x539 images]
  Best Satellite Images?
  Yeah, in the most mundane resolution.
  No wonder people like nysteve are unimpressed.
  
  Report this comment
schroeder123
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:28pm
Simply fascinating…. Just Fascinating I tell you….. I’m taking out my Cannon and tying a balloon on it.

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Drakkhanlord
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:27pm
Have tech that can see through walls and can show ants on the ground from space…
These are the best pics…

Dam Sad.

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poverty.sucks
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:59pm
Out of 2 billion square kilometers of satellite imagery, these are “The Best Satellite Images of 2011″?

How sad.

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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:06pm
  Unfortunetly, they left the lense cap on for most of the year, these are the only ones that came out, plus a lot of them had a thumb in the image.
  
  Report this comment
- Coyote6
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:06pm
  Whose that a picture of? Woodrow Wilson? Why do you come here to comment poverty.sucks? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable over at HuffPo?
  
  Report this comment
- SmallGovBigGuns
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:19pm
  i guess someone is not impressed by anything. cheer up no one like debbie downers
  
  Report this comment
- FreshlyWoken
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:17pm
  And not an errant boob in the lot!
  
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NewYorker@Heart
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:55pm
I work for DigitalGlobe Inc. Its great to see some of our work represented here on the Blaze! Happy New Year!

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- notreally
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:05pm
  How close can you get to the subject: e. g., can you look at my watch and tell the time?
- JP4JOY
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:29pm
  In the early ’70′s we were informed by our superiors in the USN that they could “identify” the branding of a pack of cigarettes lying on the ground. Reading license plates was an issue due to the angle of the image. New computer algorithms probably solve that issue. ;-)
  
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- TXPilot
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:39pm
  @NEWYORKER@HEART…….could you do me a favor?…..Im working in Colorado right now, but I can’t remember if I closed my garage door at home in TX before I left, so could you zoom in and double check that for me?
  
  Report this comment
- crackerone
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:01pm
  I’d like too see the pictures of B O smoking crack in the alley!
  
  Report this comment
- Red Falcon
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:04pm
  @JP4JOY, Hate to tell you this, but they lied to you.
  
  Report this comment
- NewYorker@Heart
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:15pm
  The satellites are what is called “sub-meter” resolution. To give you an idea, with perfect conditions, one can discern between a sedan and an SUV, see groups of people gathered, etc.
  
  Report this comment
- EgoBrain
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:27pm
  I love the Society Island pic. Very cool.
  
  Report this comment
HoggKilla
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:48pm
DARMOK, just adding to your great observation. It wouldn’t take a high tech camera from space either, a Polaroid from the space shuttle window would do just fine.

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Harry Assenback
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:41pm
Best image of 2012??? Obama leaving the White House Fred Samford style. Que the music now….

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- pschlentz
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:47pm
  Right on!!
  
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- Harry Assenback
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:05pm
  dunt dunt dunnit… dunt dunt dunnit dunnit dun dunt dunt dunnit….Dunt dunt dunnit dinit dunnn dunt dunt …Dint dunt dant dant dant derrt derrrt derrrnt derrrnt deernt derrrrrr
  
  Report this comment
- MichiganPatriot
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:05pm
  ohh…my heart can’t breath….It’s the big one!
  
  Report this comment
- BetterDays
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:19pm
  I can picture it now, like right NOW !
  
  Report this comment
- its_time_to_arrest_our_government
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 9:18pm
  the best image would be obama being dragged to a cop car in cuffs for the crimes hes done to this nation. second best pic is moochelle being stuffed into a second car.
  
  Report this comment
- GumRock
  Posted on January 14, 2012 at 1:24am
  Lamont ! You Big Dummy ,
  
  Report this comment
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:38pm
They left out the best one, the satellite photo they took of Obama’s ego, you can actually see it from outer space.

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- Witness1974
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:43pm
  I don’t know that any sattelites are stationed far enough away from the planet to capture the whole thing in a single photograph.
  
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- @leftfighter
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:44pm
  I remember it well!
  
  It was taken from Cassini, which is now on approach to Saturn and it was taken, it was done with a 1:1 aspect ratio.
  
  Even from the outer solar system, it can be seen. It was right next to Munchelle’s ever expanding angry black woman ****.
  
  Report this comment
- Slowman101
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:44pm
  Your right. We need to shoot it down.
  
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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:51pm
  @Leftfigter
  That wasn’t mochelles ****, it was a black hole. Sorry, my mistake, the same thing. Nevermind.
  
  Report this comment
- MichiganPatriot
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:07pm
  No the lens on the satellites are not that wide of an angle, to see all of his ego.
  
  Report this comment
- john koenig
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:52pm
  @Witness1974…Are you kidding? Geo-synch satellites are 23,000 miles out. Take Dish Network, for example, They have a live cam on one of their birds and a dedicated channel in the 200s that shows the entire western hemisphere.
  
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