Top 10 satel­lite pho­tog­ra­phy facts

Sahara. The Richat Structure in Mauritania, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, was interpreted as an asteroid impact structure, but no evidence of shock metamorphism has been found. Today, scientists believe that it is a huge (40 km in diameter) and deeply eroded geologic dome.

Water salinity. Launched June 10, 2011, Aquarius is NASA’s first satellite instrument specifically designed to study the salt content of ocean surface waters. The complete first year dataset of NASA's Aquarius instrument reveals seasonal changes in the Amazon River's plume. Depending on the prevailing currents, the river's freshwater outflow heads east toward Africa or bends up north to the Caribbean.

Kinshasa (at the bottom of the photo) is an urban area with a 2013 population of over 9 million. It faces the capital of the neighbouring Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, which can be seen in the distance across the wide Congo River.

In the pancreas. The islets of Langerhans are the regions of the pancreas that contain its endocrine (i.e., hormone-producing) cells.

Agricultural fields. This is an astronaut photo of the Al Khufrah Oasis in Libya. The circular shape of fields is characteristic of center pivot irrigation. These fields are approximately 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) in diameter. Lighter colors indicate fields that have been harvested recently or just planted.

Post-glacial. Sable Island is believed to have formed from a terminal moraine deposited on the continental shelf near the end of the last Ice Age. It emerges from vast shoals and shallows which, in tandem with frequent fog and sudden storms, have caused over 350 recorded shipwrecks

Mediterranean Sea. In this satellite photo of Strait of Gibraltar. The land on the left is Spain, on the right - North Africa.

Istanbul. The city is easily recognizable due to the Bosphorus strait dividing it into two parts located on different continents. Istanbul's commercial and historical center is situated in Europe, while one third of its population live in Asia.

São Paulo is about 79 km (49 mi) from Santos, the busiest container port in Latin America - visible at the bottom of the photo.

Balkhash. Lake Balkhash is the 13th largest lake in the world. The lake is divided by a strait into two distinct parts. The western is a fresh water half, while the eastern half is saline.