This Is What The Coronavirus Pandemic Looks Like From Space – Forbes

An empty Copacabana beach in Brazil.

Images taken by Earth-orbiting satellites have revealed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Earth, with a third of the worlds population now under lockdown.

Once populated areas are now deserted as people remain indoors, from previously bustling city centres to places of worship. Roads that had been full of cars are now empty, while beaches are devoid of pretty much all human activity.

The amazing images were taken by California-based company Planet Labs and Colorado-based Maxar Technologies, both of which have fleets of Earth-imaging satellites in orbit. And by comparing the latest views to archival images, stark changes around the world can be seen in impressive detail.

In these two images below supplied by Maxar, the Park Meadows shopping centre is seen in Colorado first on March 10, and subsequently on March 22.

Park Meadows shopping center in Colorado on March 10.

Park Meadows shopping center in Colorado on March 22.

Next, a busy highway interchange is seen in Los Angeles is seen first on January 28 this year, and then on March 22.

Maxar said it usually takes images during the middle of the day, between 10.30 A.M. and 1.30 P.M., with the images highlighting a notable decrease in traffic on highways and at commuter parking lots since social distancing measures and work from home policies have been put into place.

A highway interchange in Los Angeles on January 28.

The same highway interchange in Los Angeles on March 22.

At the Salt Like City International Airport in Utah on March 5, multiple planes are seen at gates dropping off or picking up passengers. Two weeks later on March 16, however, the planes are all but gone as air travel grinds to a halt.

Salt Lake City International Airport on March 5.

Salt Lake City International Airport on March 16.

A rental carpark at the same airport has seen massive increases in vehicles with a fall in customers. On March 5 it looks about half full, but on March 16 it is close to overflowing.

Cars in rental car lots have skyrocketed, said Maxar. At some airports, rental cars are overflowing into newly creating parking areas.

Customers have taken many of the rental cars at Salt Lake City International Airport on March 5.

But on March 16 the rental carpark is almost overflowing with unused cars.

Similar increases in vehicles can be seen at Phoenix International Airport in Arizona below on March 5 and March 23.

Rental cars at Phoenix International Airport on March 5.

And again on March 23.

Meanwhile, visitors to Denver International Airport have plummeted, as these images from March 7 and March 22 show.

Denver International Airport carpark on March 7.

Denver International Airport carpark on March 23.

Its not just in the U.S., of course. Images show how the number of unused parked planes at the Munich International Airport in Germany has dramatically increased.

Munch airport on February 7.

Munich airport on March 20.

And at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport, both the number of planes and cars have dropped considerably between February 12 and March 19.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport on February 12.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport on March 19.

Tourist destinations too have seen big changes. Below is the Santa Monica Pier in California, first on March 11 and again on March 22.

Many tourist attractions recently closed as social distancing became widely embraced as a strategy for fighting the coronavirus, said Maxar, noting their imagery demonstrates the significant decrease in visitors at these sites.

Santa Monica Pier on March 11.

Santa Monica Pier on March 22.

The outside of the Colosseum in Rome is bustling with visitors on February 21, but is then completely deserted on March 18.

Rome's Colosseum on February 21.

Rome's Colosseum on March 18.

And similarly, the Taj Mahal in India on February 10 is busy, with people visible all over the site. One month later on March 18, most people are gone.

The Taj Mahal on February 10.

The Taj Mahal on March 18.

Maxars images on April 28, 2017 and subsequently on February 22, 2020 also show the arrival of a temporary hospital in Wuhan, China, to tackle the pandemic.

Wuhan on April 28, 2017.

And again with a temporary hospital on Febuary 22, 2020.

Images from Planet Labs tell a similar story. On February 19, the area around the Chicago Shedd Aquarium in the U.S. is full of cars and activity. By March 17, however, its all but a ghost town.

The area around Chicago's Shedd Aquarium on February 19.

And again on March 17.

Seen here is the Copacabana beach in Rio, Brazil. The first image shows the beach bustling with people on April 28, 2018. The next is taken on March 23, almost entirely empty.

Copacabana beach on April 28, 2018.

Copacabana beach on March 23, 2020.

These next images show Disney World in Florida, first on January 6 and full of cars and people, then again on March 18, empty.

Disney World packed with visitors on January 6.

And Disney World empty on March 18.

Heres Mecca in Saudi Arabia, first on January 25 and bustling with lots of people, and then again on March 10, nearly empty.

Mecca on January 25.

Mecca on March 10.

This is Piazza San Marco in Venice, first seen teeming with boats on October 20, 2019, and then devoid of activity on March 18, 2020.

Plenty of visitors are visible in Venice on October 20, 2019.

But activity has dramatically dropped on March 18, 2020.

And finally, traffic in Wuhan seen first in full flow on January 12 this year, followed by near silence following the lockdown on January 28.

Traffic flowing on a bridge in Wuhan on January 12.

The traffic has completely stopped by January 28.

Perhaps these images, more than anything, highlight just how much of the world has shut down as it continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This Is What The Coronavirus Pandemic Looks Like From Space - Forbes