Inauguration Day From Space
The world’s highest-res Earth-imaging satellite zooms in on President Obama
Washington Monument, Inauguration Day:
GeoEye Satellite Image (Zoom out!)
As promised, here are stunningly clear satellite images of the tops of some two million heads during today’s inauguration. These images were snapped at 11:19am today by GeoEye-1, the most powerful commercial imaging satellite in the sky, from 423 miles above the trampled grass on the National Mall.
GeoEye-1’s optics allow it to discern objects about 16 inches in size, or about the size of home plate. You might notice, though, that the people in these photos look smaller than they should at that resolution. That’s because current U.S. Licensing restrictions require that the GeoEye-1’s images be resampled to roughly 19.6-inch ground resolution. Boo that.
Still, these images are fantastic. I have to wonder, though, what was the deal with the weird crowd shapes around the Washington Monument? And doesn’t the crowd look a little thin in some of the prime spots, like just behind the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol Building, or that patch in front of the western side of the National Gallery of Art. Anyone there who can help figure this out? Can you spot your head?
Crowds at the Capitol: GeoEye Satellite Image (Zoom out!)
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Comments
"what was the deal with the weird crowd shapes around the Washington Monument"
I'm guessing there were big screens set up around the place. Structures that would block the screens seem to be casting a shadow of 'no-people'.
2 out of 2 people found this comment helpfulWow. They all look like flies swarming around a dropped paddle pop stick!
0 out of 1 people found this comment helpfulThere are two croud groups and two sets of factors that could cause the croud to concentrait around them, the shade, which happens to be roughly in the middle of the top croud, and the group of buildings, and road access for the southern section. And all the stray people are like yeah non conformists lol, im just bored
0 out of 1 people found this comment helpful