Unusual Discoveries Made Through Satellite Imagery and Their Impact on Science
Unusual discoveries include invasive plant species, the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan, the Van Allen radiation belts, and migrating animals’ routes in Wyoming. According to Statista, approximately 9,115 active satellites orbited the Earth in 2023, up 35% from 2022. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs reported that 11,330 individual satellites were orbiting the planet at the end of June 2023, representing an almost 38% increase since January 2022. Some of these satellites have captured unusual, even fascinating, things that have had a profound impact on science. Invasive species Biodiversity is at an all-time low in 2024, just as the human population is at an all-time high. Since 1970, wildlife populations have declined by around 70%. Most of the decline is due to human activity, but an exciting exception was discovered on the Galapagos Islands. The Darwin Foundation reported that invasive species like Cuban cedar, the quinine tree, guava,…