SPOT 4 satellite, artwork

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SPOT 4 satellite over the Pyrenees mountain range, artwork. SPOT 4, launched by the European Space Agency in 1998, is part of the SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre) family of satellites. The SPOT satellites are operated by a company created by the French space agency (CNES). The Pyrenees (snow-capped, lower right) are on the France-Spain border, with North (and southern France) at left and northern Spain at right. The Atlantic coast is at bottom and the Mediterranean coast across centre. The SPOT 4 satellite improved on the first three SPOT satellites with the addition of infrared mapping capabilities.

David Ducros / Science Source

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