These images show cloud vortexes which formed with unusual clarity over Selkirk Island, Chile. We ordinarily show as few clouds as possible in Earthshots, since they block our view of the land, but here we want to show off their scientific and especially their esthetic value.
Landsat satellites are very different from weather satellites.
But sometimes land satellites do show weather well, and vice-versa. Vortexes over Selkirk Island Selkirk Island is named for the obstinate Scottish sailor who marooned himself on a nearby island, inspiring Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. These islands were discovered by Europeans in the mid-1500s, and Alexander Selkirk lived there from 1704 to 1709. They have always been sparsely populated, serving as penal colonies, wildlife refuges, and lobster-fishing ports. In September 1999, as sensor technicians here at the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center ran some normal checks on Landsat data, they noticed unusual clouds over Selkirk Island.