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Landsat: Earth as Art, an exhibition showcasing some of the most outstanding images of earth taken during the Landsat satellite program's 31-year history, will be shown at the New York State Museum September 27 through December 31.

NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which jointly administer the Landsat program, organized the exhibition last year to celebrate Landsat's 30th anniversary. They chose 41 images of Earth taken by the Landsat 7 satellite from over 400 miles high. The images were selected from more than 400,000 images taken since 1999 and are based on their aesthetic appeal, specifically for their outstanding qualities of color, composition and form. They include scenes of islands, cloud formations, rivers, mountains, deserts and lakes, providing a unique view of our world.

NASA launched the first Landsat satellite on July 23, 1972. This archive of imagery provides a historical record designed to help understand and protect our planet. The USGS operates Landsat 5 and 7 and manages the national archive of data collected by all of the Landsat satellites, distributing these data to researchers around the world. Landsat satellites have provided data for applications in business, science, education, government and national security.

Landsat satellites monitor important natural processes and human land use such as vegetation growth, deforestation, agriculture, coastal and river erosion, snow accumulation and fresh-water reservoir replenishment, and urbanization. The USGS uses Landsat data to spot the amount and condition of dry biomass on the ground, which are potential sources for feeding wildfires that can threaten humans, animals and natural resources. Farmers and land managers use Landsat data to help increase crop yields and cut costs while reducing environmental pollution.

For more on the Landsat mission, go to: http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ or http://landsat7.usgs.gov/.

The Earth as Art web site can be found at: http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/

The State Museum, a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education, was founded on a tradition of scientific inquiry. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. Further information is available by calling 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.