Digital Globe is currently conducting its annual contest to choose the Top Satellite Image of 2013. Voting will close Dec. 16 at midnight PST, so hurry over to their Facebook page, check out the 20 finalists, and cast your vote. You can vote for as many photos as you like. The top five vote-getters will go on to a final round of voting next week.
These are some of the finalists:
NBC reported today that Mount Vesuvius is currently leading the voting, with the Island of Love in second place. Personally, I’m intrigued by the Colorado River. Even when I rotate it 180° as some comments suggest, my brain doesn’t want to accept the river as depressed instead of raised. I keep seeing it as a big green inchworm or snake. I have to stare at a small section of the river until it looks normal, and then gradually take a longer view. At some point, it snaps back into “worm form.” Weird. For your convenience, here it is flipped:
Contest rules and introductory video are posted on Digital Globe.
Postscript: February 6, 2014 — The winner was Mount Vesuvius.