Envisat (or “Environmental Satellite”) is an Earth-observing satellite that was launched into space by the European Space Agency a little over a decade ago. In that time the €2.3 billion, 8-ton satellite has orbited the Earth thousands of times and had beamed down data that has helped scientists to study ozone depletion, the spread of pollution, and monitor maritime traffic.
Envisat has also taken a few photos during its tenure. Wired Magazine celebrates the 10th anniversary of the satellite with a gallery of images of the earth as shot from space. Have a look at some of the beautiful topographies after the jump.
South Atlantic Ocean Bloom (more info)
Algeria Desert (more info)
Gobi Desert (more info)
Cape Town, South Africa (more info)
Mount Everest area (more info)
Ganges Delta, Bangladesh (more info)
Strait of Gibraltar (more info)
Earth’s North Magnetic Pole (more info)
Kuwait, Persian Gulf (more info)
Splitting iceberg, Atlantic Ocean (more info)
See a few more images on Wired.com or visit the ESA’s extensive satellite images gallery.
[via My Modern Metropolis]