SPACE.com -- Grand Canyon Stunning in New Satellite Image

The image was taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, an imaging instrument flying on NASA's Terra satellite. credit: NASA Click-to-Enlarge

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	Grand Canyon Stunning in New Satellite Image *By SPACE.com* Staff** posted: 12:15 pm ET 20 August 2001

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Arizona's Grand Canyon might be even more spectacular when seen from orbit.

JPL has released a new view of the world's largest canyon system, taken by Terra Earth-monitoring satellite. The simulated true-color image gives a perspective view of the entire formation that's visible only high above the Earth.

Visible features include Grand Canyon Village in the lower right, as well as nature trails and ranches.

Currently in orbit around planet Earth, the Terra satellite is the most sophisticated Earth monitoring system in history. A virtual doctor in the sky, Terra is the flagship for NASAs new Earth Observing System, a new program aimed at studying long-term global environmental phenomena including weather, pollution, radiation, and vegetation.

Terra is not the first Earth monitoring satellite, but its by far the most comprehensive. Early environmental satellite systems like the Landsats enabled scientists to check one or two aspects of Earths health at a time. Today, Terra has the ability to capture dozens of data types, effectively giving Earth a full physical examination each day.

Originally launched in December 1999, Terra is equipped with five highly specialized science instruments from the United States, Japan, and Canada. Just one month after the satellite opened its eyes to the world, Terra has already given Earth science research an immense boost.