Featured Image Credit: USGS
As the US is set to celebrate its 250th birthday this weekend, an anniversary map has been released which shows the nation from space.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) released the portrait to commemorate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and it reveals some insane changes to the country in recent years.
The portrait was created using satellite imagery from Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, which is a USGS-NASA Earth-imaging program.
USGS describes the program as having provided ‘continuous, calibrated satellite observations of Earth’s land and coastal regions since 1972’.
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The agency goes on to say: “Landsat data are used by scientists, farmers, and resource managers to monitor land, water, and environmental change worldwide.
“This image combines Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 imagery with elevation data from the USGS National Elevation Dataset to create a detailed portrait of the United States.
“The mosaic highlights the nation’s diverse landscapes, from the forests of the Northeast and Pacific Northwest to the deserts of the Southwest and the agricultural heartland of the Great Plains and Midwest.”
The last time such an image was released was back in 1976, when the US celebrated its bicentennial.
The new image can now be compared with the one taken 50 years ago, giving Americans never-before-seen insight into how the landscape has changed over the years.
A notable difference visible in the two images is the difference in size of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, which has been decreasing in size over the years.
It seems the technology behind the imagery has come a long way too as the colors appear more vibrant than they did 50 years ago, with greenery being more vivid in the east of the country and more desert-like conditions visible in certain areas of the west.
Many events are being prepped to mark the US’ 250th anniversary, with President Donald Trump having hosted a UFC fight at the White House last month.
A UFC Octagon was even installed on the South Lawn, where roughly 4,000 invited guests attended, with a much larger audience watching from The Ellipse, which is the public park situated just outside the White House complex.
Speaking about the installation of the UFC cage just outside the White House, Trump told reporters: “We’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people... maybe we’ll never ever take it down.”
