Erie Canal seen from space, is now 200 years old photo of the day for Oct 1. 2025

A map with various green and blue features corresponding to land and Lake Erie, with a blue ribbon of water showing the Erie canal across the image — This image of the Erie Canal was made using satellite data. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using shoreline mapping data from the National Geodetic Survey and MODIS data from Blue Marble: Next Generation.)

2025 marks the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, and NASA's Earth Observatory commemorated the milestone with a satellite-based image tracing the canal's historic route across New York State.

What is it?

Where is it?

This image was taken from orbit above the Erie Canal.

Why is it amazing?

The Erie Canal was one of the defining projects of early America. Construction was completed in 1825, despite the lack of trained engineers at the time. Builders, often self-taught and guided by trial and error, created what was dubbed the "Erie School of Engineering." They devised solutions to challenges such as the Niagara Escarpment near Lockport, where 83 locks were needed to manage the elevation changes, and they built aqueducts to carry the canal over rivers and streams.

Beyond its engineering feats, the canal spurred growth and settlement along its route. Cities like Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo flourished, transforming from small towns into the industrial and commercial hubs they are today.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about NASA's Earth-scanning satellites and waterways across our globe.

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

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