Satellite images from around the world

The photos show our planet, including its natural disasters, manmade islands and rebuilding efforts.

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Jan. 17, 2012

The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia is shown after running aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy. Eleven people are confirmed dead and at least 23 are still missing from more than 4,200 passengers and crew.

DigitalGlobe / Reuters

Aug. 5, 2011

At the former site of the World Trade Center in New York, the tallest building under construction is the blue, octagonal Tower 2. In the center between the two original buildings' footprints are the Sept. 11 memorial and Tower 3. Tower 4 is the blue share-shaped building in the lower left of the image.

/ DigitalGlobe

June 15, 2010

Cleanup efforts after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are shown.

/ DigitalGlobe

Aug. 28, 2011

The Burning Man festival is held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

/ DigitalGlobe

March 8, 2011

At least 300 buildings at Tajalei village in Sudan's Abyei region were intentionally destroyed by fire, according to Satellite Sentinel Project analysis of this DigitalGlobe satellite image. The coloring on this image is a product of infrared photography.

/ Digital Globe/Satellite Sentinel Project

Aug. 31, 2009

In this image of the Station Fire north of Los Angeles, bright magenta represents live vegetation, the black areas are burnt, and the smoke, which appears bluish-gray, is from the fire. Colors are a product of infrared photography.

/ DigitalGlobe

Jan. 15, 2010

A satellite image of the central part of Port au Prince, Haiti, just after the earthquake.

/ DigitalGlobe

Nov. 29, 2010

A satellite image of the central part of Port au Prince, Haiti, 10 months after the earthquake.

/ DigitalGlobe

Nov. 12, 2010

Mount Merapi, Indonesia, erupts.

/ DigitalGlobe

May 5, 2011

In this image of flooding in New Madrid, Mo,, the yellow parts are healthy vegetation and the blue is water.

/ DigitalGlobe

April 29, 2011

Part of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is shown after a tornado passes through.

/ DigitalGlobe

March 14, 2011

Damage from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is shown.

/ DigitalGlobe

Oct. 24, 2011

An area near Bangkok floods, and residents are parking their vehicles, loaded with belongings, on highway overpasses to protect them.

/ DigitalGlobe

Nov. 2, 2011

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is shown just before the annual Muslim pilgrimage of hajj.

/ DigitalGlobe

July 21, 2011

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is outside the Vehicle Assembly Building.

/ DigitalGlobe

Sept. 5, 2009

These ships off the coast of Somalia have been hijacked.

/ DigitalGlobe

March 12, 2011

Minamisoma, Japan, was devastated by an earthquake and a tsunami.

/ DigitalGlobe

Nov. 11, 2010

The erupton and lava flow of Mount Merapi in Indonesia is shown with infrared photography.

/ DigitalGlobe

March 28, 2011

The Rakaia River in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island.

/ DigitalGlobe

June 20, 2011

Dubai's Palm Island, in the United Arab Emirates, is an artificial archipelago.

/ DigitalGlobe

May 2, 2011

Bombetoka Bay is on the northwestern coast of Madagascar near the city of Mahajanga, where the Betsiboka River flows into the Mozambique Channel.

/ DigitalGlobe

Sept. 2, 2011

A concentrated solar power plant, Nevada Solar One, is near Boulder City, Nev., in the Eldorado Valley.

/ DigitalGlobe

July 23, 2010

The Pearl is a manmade island near Doha, Qatar.

/ DigitalGlobe

July 22, 2010

The Farborough Air Show is held in Britain.

/ DigitalGlobe

A series of satellite images show New Orleans's Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina.

/ DigitalGlobe

May 30, 2009

The Solucar PS10 and PS20 solar power towers near Seville, Spain.

/ DigitalGlobe

Oct. 8, 2010

A toxic spill in Ajka, Hungary, affected the villages of Kolontar and Devecsar.

/ DigitalGlobe

Oct. 20, 2009

Port Botany, Australia.

/ DigitalGlobe

Feb. 6, 2011

This image shows an urban development in Ordos, China.

/ DigitalGlobe

Dec. 8, 2011

The Chinese aircraft carrier Varyag has its second sea trial in the Yellow Sea, near the port of Dalian.

/ DigitalGlobe

Aug. 5, 2010

Nowshera, Pakistan, and the surrounding area is flooded.

/ DigitalGlobe

March 15, 2010

Octavio Frias de Oliveria Bridge in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

/ DigitalGlobe

June 9, 2007

An image of Sahmah, Oman.

DigitalGlobe / DigitalGlobe/Getty Images

Sept. 21, 2010

Glacier retreat is being monitored by Extreme Ice Survey on these glaciers.

/ DigitalGlobe

In this image of an area just outside Bastrop, Tex., infrared photography shows a fire burning. The red vegetation is healthy, and the black areas are burning or have been burnt. The town of Bastrop is just off the lower right of the image, and the town of Paige is in the upper left.

/ DigitalGlobe

Featured Photo Galleries

In this image released by the Miss Universe Organization, Miss Washington USA 2012, Christina Clarke; Miss West Virginia USA 2012, Andrea Rogers; and Miss Wisconsin USA 2012, Emily Guerin compete in their swimwear by Kooey Australia and fashion footwear by Chinese Laundry during the 2012 Miss USA Presentation Show on May 30, 2012 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2012 MISS USA Pageant will air LIVE on NBC June 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Theatre for Performing Arts in Las Vegas. = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / Miss Universe Organization / DARREN DECKER' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS =DARREN DECKER/AFP/GettyImages

Miss Universe, Beijing Aquarium, National Spelling Bee and more in the day in photos

Miss Universe, Beijing Aquarium, National Spelling Bee and more.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30: Jon Stewart attends the Sesame Street Workshop 10th Annual Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 30, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Jon Stewart, Justin Bieber, Bruce Springsteen, Lil Wayne, Michelle Williams and other celebrities.

The SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft is seen in a camera on the end of the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm as it moves away from the station in preparation for its return to earth in this image from NASA TV May 31, 2012. REUTERS/NASA TV (SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

SpaceX prepares to return home

The SpaceX Dragon capsule detached from the international space station Thursday morning.

Police investigate the scene where a man who was believed to have shot and killed several people earlier in the day shot himself Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle. A gunman opened fire at a Seattle cafe earlier Wednesday, killing three people and critically wounding two others and later a man believed to be the same suspect shot and killed a woman and took her car near downtown, abandoning it less than two miles from where the alleged shooter shot himself as officers closed in on him, authorities said. His condition wasn't immediately known. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Gunman kills five, shoots himself in Seattle

A gunman killed five people in Seattle — four at a cafe and another in a carjacking.

LANDOVER, MD May 30, 2012 U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Fabian Johnson (23) hits a crossing pass to forward Herculez Gomez (9) for their 1st half goal against Brazil Men's National Team goalie Rafael (12) on May 30, 2012 in Landover, MD (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

Brazil too much for U.S. to handle

Herculez Gomez scores just before halftime, but Brazil runs away with a 4-1 victory.

Camels rest at a watering hole outside the town of Aleg May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney (MAURITANIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more in animal views

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more.

Editor’s choice: Reader-submitted photos

Some of the Post’s top picks of snapshots taken and submitted by readers.

HANDOUT PHOTO: Camera men film as the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew, U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, blasts off from it's launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (Courtesy of Shamil Zhumatov/ADAY.org)

A snapshot of life

ADAY.org aimed to capture a picture of life across the globe on one day: May, 15, 2012.

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