To observe the Earth's surface for free and view satellite images online, you can use several applications. In Russia, two of them are most popular: Google Maps and Yandex Maps. Both services boast good quality high-resolution satellite images of most countries.

Yandex maps is an online application from Russian developers, so Russian cities are more accurately detailed in it. It has built-in functionality for viewing traffic load data (large settlements), demographic and geodata. Google maps have equally high-quality satellite images of the territory of the Russian Federation, but data on land plots and traffic are available only for the United States.

View a map of Planet Earth from satellite online

Below you can see the Google map built into the site. For more stable operation of the plugin, we recommend using a browser Google Chrome. If you see an error message, please update the specified plugin and then reload the page.

Watch Google Earth from satellite, in real time online:

Another advantage of Google Maps is the presence of a client application for working with satellite images. This means that the service can be accessed not only through a browser, but also through a pre-downloaded program. It has many more opportunities for viewing and studying satellite images and working with a three-dimensional virtual globe.

3D satellite map from Google (downloadable app, not online version) allows:

  • use a quick search for the desired objects by name or coordinates;
  • take screenshots and record high quality videos;
  • work offline (preliminary synchronization via the Internet is required);
  • use a flight simulator for more convenient movement between objects;
  • save “favorite places” to quickly move between them;
  • view not only the Earth's surface, but also images of other celestial bodies (Mars, Moon, etc.).

Work with satellite Google maps You can do it through a client application or browser. A plugin is available on the official page of the program that allows you to use an interactive map on any web resource. It is enough to embed its address in the site’s program code. For display, you can select either the entire surface or a specific area (you will have to enter the coordinates). Control - using a computer mouse and keyboard (ctrl+mouse wheel for zooming, cursor for moving) or using the icons indicated on the map (“plus” - zoom in, “minus” - zoom out, move with the cursor).

The Google Earth service in real time allows you to work with several types of maps, each of which reflects certain data on satellite images. It’s convenient to switch between them “without losing progress” (the program remembers where you “were”). Available viewing modes:

  • landscape map from satellite (geographical objects, features of the Earth's surface);
  • physical map(detailed satellite images of the surface, cities, streets, their names);
  • schematic geographic map for a more accurate study of surface images.

The satellite image is automatically loaded at the point of approach, so a stable Internet connection is required for operation. To use Google Earth offline, you need to download the application for Windows or another operating system. Its operation also requires the Internet, but only for the first launch, after which the program synchronizes all the necessary data (satellite images of the surface, 3D models of buildings, names of geographical and other objects) after which it will be possible to work with the received data without direct access to the Internet.

Seeing the Earth from space is an unforgettable experience. It is something soothing, beautiful and inspiring. Let's hope that in the near future many, and not just a select few, will be able to enjoy the view of our home planet from space. Until we have such an opportunity, we have to be content with breathtaking photographs like the ten that are included in this collection.

(Total 11 photos)

1. Earth from a distance of 4 billion miles from Voyager 1 (the luminous point in the center of the right flare). This photo is an enlargement of one of the 16 frames that make up a panoramic view of the Solar System. (NASA)

2. The most detailed view of the Earth for 2002, collected by a team of specialists from many frames taken over many months. Most of the data was collected by the MODIS probe on board the Terra research satellite. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Image by Reto Stockli)

3. Earthrise. The photo was taken from Apollo 11 in 1969 during the first manned flight and landing on the Moon. (NASA)

4. The first shot of the Earth and the Moon in one frame. It was taken by Voyager 1 from a distance of 11.66 million kilometers from Earth. (NASA)

5. Terminator line on the surface of the Earth, photograph taken during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. (NASA)

7.View of the Earth and Moon from Mars. The first ever photograph of Earth from another planet, taken by the Mariner 10 probe. (SA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems)

8. Earthrise, seen from the dark side of the Moon. Photo from Apollo 16, 1972. The first photographs of the dark side of the Moon were taken by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft in 1959. Man first saw it with his own eyes in 1968 from Apollo 8. (NASA)

9. An Apollo 17 astronaut plants a flag on the surface of the Moon, 1972. The mission, which lasted 504 hours, made it possible to bring 117 kg of soil samples from the Moon and carry out in-depth geological exploration. (NASA)

10. The crescent of the Earth above the lunar horizon. Photo from Apollo 15, 1971. This lunar mission was the first to use an all-terrain vehicle (MRV), capable of reaching speeds of up to 16 km/h.

11. Water is everywhere on our planet - from earth's crust to our cells. Water in the oceans and in the atmosphere. In the form of liquid or ice, it covers 75% of the planet's surface. The total volume of water on Earth is estimated at 1.39 billion cubic kilometers, and 96.5% of this volume is found in the oceans. (NASA Earth Observatory)

You can only see several countries at once from space. A stunning picture opens up to our eyes when viewing planet Earth from outer space in photographs and videos taken from a satellite. Particularly breathtaking images and views are obtained when shooting at night. The bright lights of the cities and the northern lights of some regions will not leave anyone indifferent. In this article we will look at the most interesting images from space.

Images taken in space not only provide scientists with the opportunity to study the surface of the earth, but also remind us mere mortals that we live on a relatively small pebble, which is actually very fragile.

The further away the satellites and spaceships are from our planet, the more colorful and amazing the views of the Earth in photos and videos are. So the space shuttle DSCOVR, located several million kilometers from Earth, sees the sunlit part of our planet.


Planet Earth. Sunny side

From this wonderful angle, the ship often takes photographs of eclipses of the Moon, which runs like a shadow across the entire surface of the globe. Only when the shadow merges with the surface of the Earth are such masterpieces obtained.


Moon eclipse Earth

Photos of the Earth from space

This image of planet Earth, taken in 1972 by the crew of the Apollo 17 lunar mission, is the most reproduced and popular in all of space history.


Photo of the Earth taken in 1972

Although no one still knows the name of the astronaut who captured the sight of the wonderful marble model of the planet. One thing is known that the image was taken at a distance of 44 thousand kilometers from Earth.

Incredible wonders are revealed to astronauts at night. From above, they can see the different shades of city lights, as well as the deep blue of the endless oceans.


Astronauts against the backdrop of the Earth

Many photographs of the earth are taken from the International Space Station, which are then published in various magazines. Those for whom static images of our Earth from space are not enough, as well as those who do not have a professional telescope at home, can observe on their own using a full-fledged telescope online.

The sponli.com online telescope will allow you to view the Earth from different angles

Have you long dreamed of seeing space with your own eyes using a telescope? Now you have this opportunity. To do this, you need a computer or laptop and a stable Internet connection. Follow the link http://web.sponli.com/scope-online-ru/ and you can observe several objects of our solar system. On the right are photos of the Earth, Moon and other planets from space, which are updated every 5 minutes. On the left of the window are the observatory devices that allow you to take these pictures.


Online telescope sponli.com

View from space thanks to Google

In Google maps, you can view 20 planets of the solar system and their satellites online, as well as the interior of the international space station. Each model of the planet is very detailed, you can distinguish each crater. The models were created using the latest data available to scientists today. To view, open https://google.com/maps/, click on the menu button in the top right corner and select "Satellite". If you are currently displaying a close-up portion of the Earth, then use the mouse wheel to move our planet as far away as possible and a list will appear on the left. Stop your choice on any object.


Planets in Google.Maps

A model of the planet you selected from the list will appear in front of you. You can move it, turn it over to the sunny or night side and examine each area. The planets are presented in sufficient detail on general review, but all of them cannot be considered in such detail as our Earth. On each selected celestial body You can find the names of craters and depressions, all of which are displayed as you approach the surface of the planet.

By choosing the International Space Station, you will be able to see all the interior details with your own eyes. Even the inscriptions on the boxes and wires are visible here. And from the windows you can see the blue and white areas of our native land. Using the mouse buttons, you can move the camera to any point inside the space station. To “walk” further through the station, use the mouse wheel, scrolling it forward to get closer to the desired object. This representation of the station was achieved by combining photos and videos taken earlier. To view our planet Earth from space, select “Globe” from the list.

26 PHOTOS

1. Karst sculptures in southeastern China. (Photo: Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat 8).
2. Bazman volcano in the southeastern part of Iran. Until now, not a single eruption of this volcano has been documented in history, but volcanic gas is constantly coming out of it. This is probably not an extinct, dormant volcano. The photo was taken from the International Space Station. (Photo: NASA/ISS Expedition 38)
3. And this is the Bering Sea during a phytoplankton bloom. Scientists say the milky water indicates a coccolithophorid algae bloom. (Photo: NASA/MODIS).
4. Lake Elton in Russia, near the border with Kazakhstan. He has a very high level salinity and it is very shallow - on average the depth is about half a meter. And the brown spot that is visible in the picture is the deepest part of the lake, where silt and sediment accumulate, coloring the water. (Photo: NASA).
5. Sunset on the Baltic Sea. The image was taken on June 15, 2014 from the ISS. (Photo: NASA/Expedition 40 ISS)
6. A layer of dust and sand over the Sahara Desert, and above it cumulus clouds. (Photo: NASA/Expedition 40 ISS)
7. Plankton bloom in the Indian Ocean, 600 kilometers south of the coast of Australia. (Photo: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory)
8. Melted ice on top of a glacier in southeast Alaska. The photo was taken on July 16, 2014 from an ER-2 aircraft. (Photo: NASA).
9. Okavango Delta in the Kalahari Desert South Africa, illuminated sunlight. The image was taken on June 6, 2014 from the ISS. (Photo: NASA).
10. These are farmlands in Pampa, Argentina, and among them is a forest guitar. It was created in the late 70s by Pedro Martin Ureta, in honor of his late wife. It is planted with seven thousand trees - cypresses and eucalyptus. The image was taken by the Terra satellite. (Photo: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS).
11. Chiltepe Peninsula in western Nicaragua with the Apoeque volcanic complex. And the water around the peninsula is Lake Managua. In the middle of the peninsula is the Apoeque caldera [a vast cirque-shaped basin with steep walls] with a lake 2.8 kilometers wide and 400 meters deep. The last eruption of Mount Apoeke occurred approximately 2000 years ago. (Photo: NASA/ISS Expedition 38)
12. Cloudless sky above Iberian Peninsula. In northern Spain you can see the snow-capped Cantabrian Mountains. Below is the largest plateau in Europe - the Meseta, to the east - the Pyrenees, and above them - the French Massif Central. The photo was taken on March 8, 2014. (Photo: Jeff Schmaltz/NASA GSFC)
13. Venetian Lagoon. The red area on the right side of the photo is the Venetian roofs. Above them is Mestre, a district of Venice located on the mainland. (Photo: NASA/ISS Expedition 39)
14. There are 28 active glaciers on the Northern Patagonian Ice Plateau. The San Quentin Glacier is the largest of them; its beginning is visible on the left, flowing into the lake. (Photo: NASA/ISS).
15. Hurricane Edward was captured on September 16, 2014 from the ISS. And its “eye” has a diameter of about 30 kilometers. (Photo: NASA/Expedition 41 ISS/Reid Wiseman).
16. Meanders (smooth bends of the channel) of the Colorado River in national park Canyonlands, in Utah, USA. (Photo: Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat)
17. Forest fire in the Funny River area, Alaska. (Photo: Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat 8)
18. Ijen volcano complex on the island of Java. On the right side you can see a caldera with an acidic lake (pH 0.3). (Photo: Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat)
19. African sands blown by the winds directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Interestingly, these sands overcome the entire ocean to get to the Northern and South America, and the minerals they contain fertilize American forests. Every year, about 40 million tons of Sahara sand fall into the Amazon lowlands. (Photo: NASA/Expedition 40 ISS)
20. Meanders of the Amazon River. (Photo: Jesse Alle/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat).
21. Drought in southern Brazil. The photo shows the dry Jaguari reservoir, one of five reservoirs that supply water to the state of Sao Paulo. (Photo: Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat).
22. Badin-Jaran in China. The picture shows lakes among the highest dunes in the world (reaching a height of 500 meters). (Photo: NASA).
23. King Sound is a bay in Western Australia where you can observe the largest tides in the world. (Photo: NASA/Expedition 40 ISS)
24. This is Nishino-shima - a volcanic island belonging to Japan. Last November, an underwater volcano erupted to create a new island just 500 meters away, which grew so quickly that within a month the two islands became one. The photo was taken on March 30, 2014. (Photo: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat 8).
25. Murzuk (sandy desert) in Libya. The dark area in the image is the volcanic Tibesti Mountains. The image was taken from the ISS on November 26, 2014. (Photo: NASA/ISS Expedition 42)
26. This is us! This remarkable photograph of our planet was taken by the Suomi NPP satellite on March 30, 2014. (Photo: Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory).

A new experiment has been launched on the International Space Station - High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV). 4 HD cameras were installed on the ISS; the satellite broadcasts the image online in real time. Everyone can feel like an astronaut and look at our planet from space!

HD cameras are sealed in a temperature-controlled housing. While the experiment is in operation, views are typically sequential, albeit from different cameras. Between switching cameras, appears grey colour, or black background. When the ISS is in shadow, the video may be interrupted, keep an eye on the map to stay informed. Analysis of this experiment will be conducted to evaluate the impact of the space environment on hardware and video quality for future missions.

A dark screen means International Space station is located on the night side of planet Earth. If you see a gray background in the video, it means that switching between cameras is currently taking place, or communication with the ISS is not available.

Enjoy watching!

Planet Earth from satellite in real time

Earth map online

Below on the map you can see online where the ISS is currently located in its orbit and, accordingly, what the cameras on it are broadcasting.

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