Satellite Eye for Galathea 3

The harbor in Nuuk. Recorded by the satellite QuickBird on 19 May 2005.

The image is part of the project Satellite Eye for Galathea 3 Harbors, that shows satellite images of the harbors that will be visited during the expedition.

The harbor in Nuuk primarily is a harbor for containers (see the many containers placed in different places), but also several smaller boats, some for fishing, and others most like for pleasure (notice the form of the hull).

A row of blocks of flats are located high above the harbor, and this gives a splendid view from the flats. Furthermore, the QuickBird-image shows different houses, mainly houses for commercial use near the harbor. A tower block is under construction in the western part of the image. It can also be noted that the traffic on the roads is rather limited around 10:30 a.m. on an ordinary Thursday morning on 19 May 2005.

Technical information:

The QuickBird image is remarkable due to the high spatial resolution of around 60 x 60 cm per pixel, which gives a view that looks like an ordinary aerial photo. It is possible to see houses, cars and people and many other details. QuickBird is a satellite that orbits Earth at around 400 km above sea level, and from where it measures reflected light from Earth in four spectral bands: the blue, the green, the red and the near-infrared part of the spectrum. With this digital information QuickBird data can be used to analyze the growth conditions of plants (water stress, disease, yield), the wetness of the area, and for mapping of materials such as buildings and roads.

Sources: GRAS and Digital Globe