rack.org

The public observatory

The world
leaves a
signal.

Flight paths. Radio waves. Orbital tracks.
A closer look at a world that never stands still.

Public sources. Open questions.
Follow what catches your attention.
Observation / 001Landsat archive
Landsat satellite view of the Eye of the Sahara: concentric ridges in a vast sand and charcoal desert landscape.
Earth / Mauritania05—06 MAR 2026
A closer look

The Eye of the Sahara.

Explore the view
NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin · Landsat / USGS
Satellite imagery with a graphic overlay.

EXPLORE THE DESKS

Different signals.
Same curiosity.

Flight paths, field reports, and signals beyond the horizon.
Pick a starting point.

01 / AIR / TRACKING

Flight tracking.

Follow aircraft across the map—and see how receivers turn radio signals into tracks.

Watch the sky
02 / RECORD / INVESTIGATION

Aviation reports.

Put occurrences on the map. Read the reports, check the dates, and follow the original sources.

Open the record
03 / SPECTRUM / RECEPTION

The radio desk.

See where signals travel. Explore reception maps, listening posts, and the shape of a wavelength.

Read the bands
04 / SOLAR / CONDITIONS

Space weather.

A restless Sun. A changing ionosphere. Follow NOAA conditions, Kp history, and the aurora outlook.

Check conditions
05 / ORBIT / SPACECRAFT

Satellite tracking.

Follow the ISS and amateur-radio spacecraft. Explore predicted passes and signals above the horizon.

Follow an orbit
06 / EARTH / OBSERVATION

Observation files.

Eight places that reward a second look. Explore satellite imagery, map locations, and source dossiers.

Enter the archive

06 / EARTH / OBSERVATION

A world worth
looking closer.

Eight places. Eight different perspectives.
Choose an observation to open its dossier.

001
Mauritania

The Eye of the Sahara.

Open dossier
002
Australia

Uluru, from orbit.

Open dossier
003
Namibia

A sea of sand.

Open dossier
004
Canada

The Eye of Québec.

Open dossier
005
Russia

Branches at the edge of the world.

Open dossier
006
Bolivia

An island in a white sea.

Open dossier
007
India

The lake that changed its mind.

Open dossier
008
New Zealand

A circle drawn around a mountain.

Open dossier
WORLD INDEX / 008 ENTRIES

Follow the geography.

Select a numbered marker to open an observation.

World map of the 8 observationsRegional markers for all eight observations around the world. Each marker opens its observation dossier. 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008
001
Richat StructureMauritania
Regional location markersMap: Natural Earth ↗

An open collection of places that reward a second look. Imagery and field notes sourced from NASA.

OBSERVATION / 001

FROM THE OBSERVATION ARCHIVE

The Eye of the Sahara.

Location
Image acquired
Platform / instrument
Image type

Field notes

Read NASA’s full account

The mapping overlay is a graphic treatment. The original imagery and its context are linked above.