SkySat • Tennen Mountains, near Salzburg, Austria (The Sound of Music) • April 19, 2022

In this week’s issue:

• Famous film locations

• Fog reveals topography

• Hawaiian sandbar
  

Having trouble viewing images? Then read this issue on Medium!

FEATURE STORY

Blockbusters from Space

Every once in a while, a director introduces a revolutionary new way to use a camera. Think Hitchcock’s vertigo zoom and iconic long takes, Kurosawa’s horizontal camera pans, Spike Lee’s rolling double dolly, and Tarantino’s trunk shots. Yet despite the wide variety of signature styles, the perspective from space is not nearly as popular as we think it should be. So to help promote the orbital shot and to herald the summer blockbuster season, here’s some famous movie locations as seen from space.

SkySat • Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA • March 15, 2022

See any sharks in this picture? Of course you don’t. That’s because Jaws taught us that once you see them, it’s already too late. The film follows the intrepid adventures of a big shark known as Bruce as he terrorizes the waters of Amity Island, which was shot mostly on Martha’s Vineyard. Fun fact: Jaws is accredited as the first summer blockbuster.

PlanetScope • Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA • April 29, 2023

The Colosseum is as much a part of Rome’s identity as characters with troubled backstories and a brooding demeanor are to Russell Crowe. Even though it’s already a popular tourist destination, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator put the ancient arena even further on the map.

SkySat • The Colosseum, Rome, Italy • April 6, 2020

The setting for Disney’s animated hit movie, Moana, is fictional. But its landscapes, stories, and themes—particularly the seafaring travels—are rooted in Polynesian cultures.

PlanetScope • Taha’a, French Polynesia • June 9, 2023

Hollywood seems to vastly misunderstand how satellites work. But what they know better than anyone is that audiences like explosions. Big ones. So when Christopher Nolan set out to film this summer’s highly anticipated Oppenheimer, he ditched CGI and headed for Los Alamos, where, nearly 80 years ago, physicists developed and detonated the first atomic bomb.

PlanetScope • White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA • April 28, 2023

There aren’t many deserts in Europe, but Spain’s Tabernas Desert is more famous than you may realize. It’s been an iconic shooting location for Spaghetti Westerns—American Westerns shot cheaply in Europe. It served as the backdrop to a range of them, from the good to the bad to the ugly.

PlanetScope • Tabernas Desert, Spain • May 8, 2023

Hawaii’s dramatic landscapes and verdant green can make it feel otherworldly and prehistoric. Which makes it a perfect spot for adventurous flicks such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jurassic Park.

PlanetScope • Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii, USA • February 4, 2022

Slumdog Millionaire’s plot is about as winding and intricate as the city it takes place in, Mumbai.

SkySat • Mumbai, India • April 19, 2023

We’re 90% sure that Wakanda isn’t real, but 100% sure that parts of Black Panther were filmed at Iguazú Falls. Marvel Studios is best known for their superheroes and their green screens, but they do use some real-world locations here and there.

SkySat • Iguazú Falls, Argentina & Brazil • November 17, 2019

There’s perhaps no more peaceful location in cinematic fiction than Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings. Good news for us, the location actually exists in New Zealand. But as nice as home is, take a hint from Bilbo and Frodo this summer and see what adventures are out there.

SkySat • Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand • December 3, 2022

REMOTE SENSATIONS

Cloud Topography

A good film is entertaining. A great one has depth. Like films, our satellites capture scenes in 2D. But we have a few optical tricks to provide some further detail to the picture. One of these is capturing an image at an angle, called obliques or off-nadir. Another is to wait until low-lying clouds roll through a valley and outline the topography for us. It’s a slightly uncommon phenomenon, but here are some of our favorites.

PlanetScope • Dniester River, Ukraine • January 2, 2023

PlanetScope • Cerro Tronador, Chile & Argentina • May 6, 2023

Nearly 300 years ago, the Tofinu settled on Lake Nokoue to evade capture by another tribe. They never left, and now its 20,000+ residents live on the water and canoe between the town’s buildings.

PlanetScope • Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile • March 28, 2020

WHAT IN THE WORLD

Hawaiian Sandbar

We don’t make assumptions about our readers, but in this case we think it’s safe to say wherever you are isn’t as cool as floating on a boat at the edge of a Hawaiian sandbar. We spotted the Kaneohe Sandbar while researching the Kualoa Ranch, and since it gave us FOMO we figured we’d pass it on to you too.

SkySat • Kaneohe Sandbar, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA • January 8, 2023

Weekly Revisit

Last week we discussed the value of deserts and the concern with their expansion. So check it out in case you missed it and read more stories from the full archive if you’re extra curious.

PlanetScope • Ennedi Plateau, Chad • February 6, 2021