In early July, the public was invited to vote for their five favorite U.S. Geological Survey images in a photo contest commemorating the 40th anniversary of the USGS's Landsat Program.
"Earth As Art" featured hundreds of beautiful and often abstract NASA satellite shots from around the world, including five enchanting views of Alaska.
On July 26, National Geographic proudly announced the winners of the contest. The picture to the left, Alaska's Yukon River Delta, came in second place just behind Gotland, Sweden's "starry night," an exceptional image likened to the Van Gogh painting.
The Yukon Delta image is a burst of color, featuring brilliant pink and orange tones giving it a biological appearance. National Geographic writes:
To see the rest of the winners visit National Geographic here. To see the five Alaskan photos click here.