SEEING EARTH FROM SPACE

An album of awe-inspiring, impeccably reproduced color photos taken from space, dramatizing Earth's majesty while providing previously unavailable information and insights. Lauber's clear, quiet text explains what is seen (the Mississippi Delta visibly growing; the eye of a storm; the unnatural color of a polluted cloud) and details some of the different circumstances and sources for the photos: orbiting astronauts ""cannot change their angle or wait till later""; the ""false-color"" Landsat pictures are made by remote sensor, the images radioed to Earth from satellites. She also discusses the kinds of information conveyed by these photos and their uses, including tracking wildlife or weather and studying long-term changes in climate. Lauber concludes with the sobering yet heartening fact that ""Space travelers often return with their thinking changed. . .[they] see the earth is one planet, small and fragile, wondrous and lovely. . .so we must all. . .treasure and protect it."" This handsome resource provides an opportunity to share that mind-expanding experience. Glossary; further reading; index.