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capn birds eye

Glaciers and Glastonbury: 25 of the best satellite photos taken this year

An erupting volcano, a revolution in progress, and hundreds of thousands of drunk people.

DIGITALGLOBE, A COMMERCIAL satellite imaging company, has just released a breathtaking collection of its 25 best images from 2014.

Among them are a handful taken from the company’s newest satellite, WorldView-3.

DigitalGlobe is asking the public to vote for their favourite birds-eye views of Earth over on their Facebook page.

Here are the choices:

The forested countryside of Alberta, Canada, on 10 October.

satellites-are-often-used-to-monitor-the-environment-as-they-can-show-widespread-changes-in-habitats-over-time-like-deforestation-this-image-is-of-the-forested-countryside-of-alberta-canada-shown-oct-10-2014

Nordenskjold Basin, Antarctica on 12 March

this-is-nordenskjold-basin-in-antarctica-on-march-12-2014-frozen-areas-like-this-can-be-monitored-by-satellite-in-order-to-observe-whether-the-ice-is-melting-and-assess-the-impacts-of-climate-change

Wildfires in San Diego County, California on 15 May.

logouscasandiegococosfiremay152014nirwv2

An eruption on Mount Sinabung, Indonesia, on 23 January.

similarly-heres-a-view-of-the-erupting-mount-sinabung-in-indonesia-on-jan-23-2014-first-responders-can-use-such-images-to-assess-damage-and-help-create-evacuation-plans

Flooding in Gunja, Croatia on 21 May

such-information-is-useful-in-situations-like-this-flooding-in-gunja-croatia-on-may-21-2014

Densely packed neighbourhoods in Mexico City, on 1 August.

urban-planning-is-a-tough-job-especially-in-big-cities-where-its-hard-to-get-an-accurate-sense-of-the-layout-from-the-ground-peering-down-from-space-gives-a-better-impression-of-such-areas-like-these-densely-packed

Oktoberfest in Munich, on 24 September.

social-events-are-easy-to-observe-from-afar-heres-oktoberfest-in-munich-germany-on-sept-24-2014--an-event-attended-by-millions-of-people-each-year

Around 200,000 people attend the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, on 25 June.

the-same-goes-for-the-glastonbury-festival-a-five-day-music-festival-attended-by-about-200000-people-in-somerset-england-on-june-25-2014

Spectral band imaging shows the location of mineral deposits at Cuprite Hill, Nevada on 19 September.

other-special-kinds-of-imaging-can-help-geologists-identify-mineral-deposits-like-the-ones-here-at-cuprite-hill-nevada-the-four-sections-in-this-image-taken-sept-19-2014-show-different-spectral-band-combinations-us

Mineralised bands of volcanic lava and sand on Rainbow Range, in British Columbia, Canada on 20 September.

heres-another-striking-image-of-mineral-deposits-this-is-rainbow-range-a-mountain-range-known-for-its-colorful-mineralized-bands-of-volcanic-lava-and-sand-in-british-columbia-canada-on-sept-20-2014

A satellite keeps track of productivity at the Bayan Obo mining district in China, on 23 August.

satellite-images-arent-all-fun-an-games-though-they-are-useful-for-many-other-reasons-this-is-the-bayan-obo-mining-district-in-china-captured-aug-23-2014-satellite-imagery-can-help-keep-track-of-mine-productivity-f

The Henan Coal Mine in China, on 29 May.

heres-another-mine-the-henan-coal-mine-in-china-captured-may-29-2014-satellites-can-record-fuel-levels-and-emissions-from-mines-like-this-one-to-help-monitor-their-environmental-impacts

The Diavikk diamond mine in Canada, on 21 August.

and-heres-a-slightly-different-type-of-mine-the-diavikk-diamond-mine-in-canada-seen-on-aug-21-2014

Fish farms off the coast of Huayuanli in China, on 18 October.

satellites-are-also-capable-of-using-different-types-of-imagery-to-make-observations-about-a-location-near-infrared-and-shortwave-infrared-imagery-can-provide-information-about-aquaculture-like-the-amount-and-types

Smoke rises above Kiev, Ukraine during protests on 24 February.

this-image-of-kiev-ukraine-illustrates-the-power-of-remote-imaging-to-capture-scenes-of-human-conflict-kiev-has-been-the-site-of-escalating-protests-since-last-year-this-image-was-taken-feb-24-2014

Iraqi refugees leaving the city of Sinjar on foot, escaping Islamist militants there, on 15 September.

more-human-conflict-is-hauntingly-captured-in-this-image-of-iraqi-refugees-traveling-from-the-city-of-sinjar-to-escape-islamic-militants-on-sept-15-2014

Refugees in the Syrian city of Kobane, on 6 November.

a-big-picture-look-at-such-conflicts-can-help-international-bodies-and-aid-organizations-make-decisions-about-how-to-help-displaced-people-and-suffering-communities-one-city-that-has-seen-it-share-of-conflict-is-ko

A shipping yard in Garden City, Georgia, USA on 16 May.

even-the-commercial-sector-can-benefit-from-certain-satellite-applications-for-instance-this-image-shows-a-shipping-yard-in-garden-city-georgia-on-may-16-2014-analysts-can-look-at-the-number-and-type-of-shipping-co

Aircraft line up at the airport in Everett, Washington on 26 July.

here-an-image-of-the-airport-at-everett-washington-from-july-26-2014-can-reveal-types-of-aircraft-cargo-and-other-important-operational-information

The Spui Locks at the storm surge barrier in IJmuiden, Netherlands on 27 August.

these-are-the-spui-locks-at-ijmuiden-netherlands-on-aug-27-2014-monitoring-civil-infrastructure-components-like-these-locks-can-help-governments-keep-track-of-local-operations

A rail yard in Maschen, Germany on 6 August.

rail-yards-are-another-civil-operation-satellites-can-help-monitor-this-is-a-rail-yard-in-maschen-germany-on-aug-6-2014

An oil facility in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Kazakhstan, in September.

objects-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean-can-be-hard-to-access-regularly-so-observing-them-via-satellite-can-be-helpful-in-the-way-of-monitoring-conditions-and-checking-on-equipment-heres-one-example-an-oil-facility-in-t

The isolated Prirazlomnaya oil platform, off the coast of Russia, on 28 June.

and-heres-a-similarly-isolated-site-the-prirazlomnaya-oil-platform-off-the-coast-of-russia-on-june-28-2014

The world’s largest tyre graveyard at Sulaibiya, Kuwait on 4 June.

waste-management-is-another-important-environmental-consideration-this-image-reveals-the-worlds-largest-tire-graveyard-in-sulaibiya-kuwait--pictured-on-june-4-2014

The Itaipu Dam in Paraguay, on 12 March.

and-evaluating-the-environmental-impacts-of-construction-projects-is-no-less-important-for-example-remote-sensing-can-help-developers-figure-out-how-the-itaipu-dam-in-paraguay-shown-here-on-march-12-2014-is-affecti

Read: Here’s what Dublin looks like from the International Space Station>

Here’s why you really should be following the International Space Station online>

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