Composite Gallery

India at night, satellite image

India at night, satellite view. This image is a composite showing the change in illumination over India from 1992-2003. Satellite data from 2003 is coloured red, 1998 is coloured green and 1992 is blue. The three data sets are composited to form the image. Nighttime lights on the map that are white are lights that were present throughout the entire period. Areas that are marked by red have only appeared in 2003. Areas coloured green and blue were only present in 1998 and 1992 respectively but are no longer visible. This image was created by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, USA.
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© NOAA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The Hamburg Hydra Linnaeus revealed fake

Copperplate engraving with hand colouring by J. Chapman 1806 after engraving by Seba in his "Treasury of Natural History" (1734). In 1735 a young Linnaeus visited Hamburg. While there he inspected the famous stuffed seven headed hydra held by the Burgomeister. It had originally been looted from a Church by Count Konigsmark in 1648. Seba believed it was a real animal (as did most) and made this illustration. But Linnaeus saw it was a fake. The jaws and claws were of weasels, the body covered in glued snake skins. He assumed the hydra was made by the monks of the original church as a representation of the apocalyptic beast rather than the Greek mythological animal. When Linnaeus tactlessly made the fraud public, the value of the animal (which the Burgomeister had tried to sell to various Cabinet of Wonders collectors) collapsed. Linnaeus feared an angry response and left Hamburg

© This image is Paul D. Stewart 2009. Do not reproduce without permission of the photographer at Stewartpauld@aol.com

Africa, night-day satellite image

Africa, night-day satellite image. This composite image of the Earth is set against a background of stars, and is centred on the continent of Africa. North is at top. The left-hand half of the globe is at night, and city lights (yellow) show areas of dense population. The right-hand half of the globe is lit by sunlight and shows clouds (white), seas and oceans (blue), and land cover: vegetation (green) and arid areas (brown). This day-night line is the dawn terminator. This image, from 2001, combines data from a variety of satellite sensors (AVHRR, SeaWiFS, MODIS) for the sunlit areas. The night-time data is from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). For the separate images, see E074/080 and E050/678

© NASA/NOAA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY