One regular dose of Earth from above
New Overviews are posted regularly on Instagram — follow @dailyoverview to see them as soon as they go up.
46.668056°,32.502222° - Planet
Dark smoke rises from burning helicopters at Kherson International Airport & Airbase in southern Ukraine. The tarmac, which is currently held by the Russian military, was struck by Ukrainian forces yesterday. Russian forces first captured the city of Kherson on March 3 and immediately moved several helicopters and vehicles to the airbase.
41.911165°,12.460427° - Vantor
Prati is a neighborhood located in the center of Rome, Italy. The area borders the Vatican and contains the Via Cola di Rienzo, one of the most famous shopping streets in the entire city.
21.444304°,109.382320° - Vantor
Long-line pearl farms are visible in the Beibu Gulf, off the coast of China’s Guangxi Region. Here, pearl oysters are placed inside protective mesh cages and suspended in the sea along a stretch of rope or cable. It can take several years for oysters to mature and pearls to form. China is the world’s largest producer of cultured pearls, harvesting ~ 20 tonnes from the sea and 1,500 tonnes from freshwater annually.
17.361667°,78.474722° - NASA
The city lights of Hyderabad, India, encircled by the Nehru Outer Ring Road, shine brightly in this Overview. Hyderabad is one of the most-populated cities in India, with nearly 10 million people living in its metropolitan area. The 158-kilometer (98-mile) Outer Ring Road has 8 traffic lanes and 20 interchange junctions along its route around the city.
55.750000°,37.616667° - Vantor
Moscow is the capital and most populous city in Russia, with about 13 million residents in its city limits and more than 20 million in its metropolitan area. The city is organized into five concentric transportation rings that surround the Kremlin, the two innermost of which can be seen here.
21.327976°,-157.939159° - Vantor
Honolulu is the capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Located along the southeastern coast of Oahu Island, it is the most remote city of its size in the world. The Honolulu Volcanic Series is partially located inside the city, and Diamond Head — a prominent volcanic cone — is visible in this Overview along the southern coast.
51.388918°,30.098510° - Vantor
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a closed facility in Ukraine, about 100 kilometers (62 mi) north of Kyiv. In 1986, Reactor No. 4 exploded here, causing a radioactive catastrophe throughout Europe. The reactor is now enclosed in a concrete and lead sarcophagus, as well as a large steel confinement structure, visible at the top of this Overview. The plant was seized by Russian forces on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine, and yesterday, the facility was disconnected from the power grid. As of 11 a.m. EST today, Russia claimed Belarus had restored power to the plant, but this has not been verified. Without power, systems that cool nuclear materials could fail, allowing radioactive substances to leak into the air. And with backup generators only able to supply 48 hours of power, authorities called for an urgent ceasefire so repairs could be made.
37.819907°,-122.478558° - Vantor
The Golden Gate Bridge is a 1.7-mile-long suspension bridge in San Francisco, California. It spans the Golden Gate Strait, the mile-wide channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge’s signature color, known as "international orange," was selected to complement its natural surroundings and enhance its visibility in fog.
-24.930723°,-69.485001° - Vantor
A red desert plain abuts a colorful “quebrada” — a rugged, cliffy outcrop — near Llullaillaco National Park in Chile. Meaning “breaks” in Spanish, quebradas are common formations in this region, which is primarily a desert and devoid of vegetation. Despite its lack of rainfall, the area is a habitat for vicuñas, wild ancestors of the alpaca.
45.250000°,30.200000° - Vantor
The Ukrainian Navy has confirmed that all of the soldiers defending Snake Island, shown here, are “alive and well” despite being feared dead in Russia’s invasion last Thursday. After repelling two attacks by Russian forces, the 13 Ukrainian soldiers were forced to surrender due to a lack of ammunition. The island, located in the Black Sea near the Danube Delta, plays an important role in marking Ukraine’s territorial waters. All of Snake Island’s infrastructure — including lighthouses, towers and antennas — has now been destroyed.
50.921294°,29.898736° - Vantor
This Overview shows a small section of the Russian military convoy that stretches for nearly 40 miles (64 km) north of Kyiv, Ukraine. In imagery captured yesterday, the convoy extended from Antonov Airport in Hostomel to the village of Prybirs'k. As the war continues into its sixth day, deadly shelling has occurred in Kharkiv (Ukraine’s second largest city), explosions have intensified in Kyiv, and the first attempt at cease-fire talks between the two countries stalled.
52.516272°,13.377722° - Markus Schreiber
More than 100,000 people gathered in Berlin, Germany today to demonstrate against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The crowd – initially expected to be 20,000 – stretched for more than a mile (1.6 km) from the Brandenburg Gate, seen here in the distance. Yesterday, the German government announced that it would bolster spending to its defense budget and also pledged to increase military support to Ukraine through the delivery of more weaponry.
50.450000°,30.523333° - Emilio Morenatti - AP
Massive traffic jams formed in Kyiv, Ukraine this morning as people are attempting to flee the city following the Russian invasion of the country. Russia’s attack — the largest on a European nation since World War II — came by land, air and sea. Central European countries are already preparing for an influx of millions of refugees from Ukraine, which is home to upwards of 44 million people.
29.937917°,31.653917° - Vantor
The Octagon, in Greater Cairo, will soon be the new headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense. Extending over 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) with a 50.5 million-square-foot (4.6 million-square-meter) floor plan, it is the largest defense headquarters in the world. It has eight octagon-shaped outer buildings—representing the eight branches of the Egyptian Armed Forces—and two inner ministerial buildings.
35.947452°,10.274242° - Vantor
Olive groves in Tunisia form a colorful pattern on the landscape as they trace its multicolored hills and valleys. Tunisia is expected to produce roughly 240,000 tons of olive oil this year, placing it among top producers like Spain, Greece and Italy. And, with mostly chemical-free orchards, Tunisia exports more organic olive oil than any other nation.
10.481310°,-66.798738° - Vantor
In eastern Caracas, Venezuela, a clear distinction is visible between the working-class neighborhood of Palo Verde and the slums of Petare. With a population of nearly 370,000, Petare is considered one of the largest slums in the world. Its homes, tightly packed and stacked on top of each other, contrast with the high-rise and greenery-spaced buildings of Palo Verde.
23.393206°,120.145904° - Vantor
Hundreds of “oyster condos” are visible in Budai Harbor, Taiwan. Farming operations like this, known as off-bottom systems, suspend oysters in baskets or cages near the water’s surface, allowing the oysters to be held above water part of the time. Budai is known for fresh oysters, fish, and other seafood, attracting many visitors to the Budai Harbor Fish Market.
45.438611°,10.992778° - Vantor
Verona is a city of roughly 260,000 inhabitants, located on the Adige River in northern Italy. With a rich artistic heritage, well preserved architecture, and several annual fairs, shows and operas, Verona is one of the main tourist destinations in the region. In fact, the whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its ancient Roman monuments and its variety of Medieval architecture.
41.394921°,2.175507° - Vantor
Plaça de Tetuan is a major square located in the Eixample District of Barcelona, Spain. This area is characterized by its strict grid pattern, octagonal intersections, and apartments with communal courtyards. At the square’s center is a monument of Dr. Bartomeu Robert Yarzábal, who served briefly as Mayor of Barcelona at the turn of the 20th century.
-16.300000°,-145.633333° - Vantor
Fakarava Atoll, presented by Lindblad Expeditions, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in French Polynesia. The many dots seen here are coral heads, knobby columns of coral that jut out above the surface of the water. When the conditions are right, divers can drift in and out of the atoll’s rectangular lagoon via two passes: Tumakohua in the south and Passe Garuae to the north. Black-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles and endless species of fish navigate Fakarava’s waters amid some of the most pristine and undisturbed coral in the world. To learn more or see how you can explore the Pacific Islands yourself, visit expeditions.com.