“Red Land: Sunset Cloud Village is one of the most picturesque places in Red Land, China. As its name indicates, it's best to see before sunset. The reddish brown soil turns redder after rainfall and after farmers plow the land”. (Photo and comment by Peng Jiang/National Geographic Photo Contest via The Atlantic)

A man stands beside the Philippine flag as colorful umbrellas adorn a village hall in suburban San Juan, east of Manila, Philippines, on June 27, 2013. (Photo by Aaron Favila/Associated Press)

These stunning photographs may look like alien planets, but they are actually satellite images of planet Earth. Commercial satellite company DigitalGlobe recently released the images as a way of highlighting the incredible detail of their imagery – the highest-resolution commercial satellite imagery in the world. Some of the images – taken above Afghanistan, Algeria, Peru, Russia and the United States – look more like abstract works by Mondrian than segments of the globe. DigitalGlobe, based in Westminster, Colo., launched its first satellite in 1999 and currently has four in operation. Here: Trementina, New Mexico. (Photo by DigitalGlobe/Caters News)

Two drunk race-goers make their way home after the last race of the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing week June 19, 2003 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

A group of stags charge across a frosty field in Bushy Park, London, leaping in near-perfect formation as the early morning mist hangs low in the second decade of December 2025. (Photo by Max Ellis/The Times)

A Citroen Aircross concept car is pictured during the media day at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany, September 15, 2015. The car show runs through September 27. (Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

People get covered with powdered colors to celebrate the Holi festival in Bangalore, India on March 21, 2019. Holi is observed at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna, which usually falls in the later part of February or March. (Photo by Jagadeesh N.V./EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Samuel (9), Leah (10) and Matthew Flynn (7), from Baldoyle, Dublin, enjoying the fine weather on Burrow Beach in Sutton, Ireland on June 2, 2023. (Photo by Tom Honan for The Irish Times)