CEDAR FALLS - Late Wednesday night, the U.S. military successfully destroyed a failed spy satellite, firing a missile from a cruiser in the Pacific Ocean. The mission was an effort to destroy the spacecraft's fuel tank filled with 1,000 pounds of toxic gas as it hurtled toward Earth.

There are dozens of "eyes in the sky" - sophisticated imaging satellites that circle the Earth daily from space, sending back images of the Earth's surface and documenting conditions and events that are nearly impossible to see from the planet's surface: The swirl of green vegetation in the Florida Everglades taken by Landsat 7; the Quickbird's view of water flowing over volcanic rock at Victoria Falls; the Earth at night with dark land masses and twinkling streetlights from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program; shadows cast by the Great Pyramids, the grid-like pattern of farmland; and red spots that are fires burning in the Yucatan's rain forest, seen from space by the Terra satellite.

These remarkably artistic images are among 40 detailed satellite images featured in "Earth From Space," a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition on display now through June 28 at the University Museum. The exhibit explores the remote sensing technology and individual satellites whose images are on display.

"People can see how satellites gather images and data about what's happening on our planet. The images are incredibly beautiful and it's remarkable the amount of subtle details that satellites pick up that the human eye can't," said Romney Hall, the museum's public affairs coordinator.

Images are cataloged by area: "Living Planet," "Water & Air," "The Human Presence" and "Structure of the Land." Orbiting satellites can detect plant vegetation, the density of organisms in ocean water, and the interaction between living things and the atmosphere. Many satellites are designed to identify certain infrared wavelengths that indicate the presence of plant life, according to the Smithsonian.

Satellites can track weather, provide images for use in urban planning, detect changing land cover, monitor pollution, map and understand geological formations, volcanoes and fault lines and more.

Accompanying the exhibit is a Magic Planet video globe, courtesy of Global Imagination. This tool, with its sphere-shaped screen and digital display, allows visitors to see the global extent of images returned from orbiting satellites.

The museum has collaborated with libraries, shopping malls and tourism centers to highlight the exhibit. A broad range of public programming, activities and presentations are planned throughout the spring, including "John Deere: Farming with Greenstar," a computer simulation of precision agriculture utilizing GPS technology, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Schindler Education Center, on the UNI campus. Popular local weatherman Craig Johnson, now executive director of the Iowa Academy of Science, will present "Spacious Skies: Earth's Weather from Space," at 7 p.m. March 18.

"Our aim is to recreate the scope and feel of the (dinosaur) Sue exhibit," Hall said.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service has been impressed with the museum's approach. In a letter to UNI President Benjamin Allen, the SITES director Anna R. Cohn notes, "that doesn't just get our attention, it prompts us to make sure the rest of the Smithsonian takes notice. … One of the strongest commitments is to reach the public beyond Washington, D.C. To have this goal embraced and enhanced so completely by the UNI Museum inspires us beyond measure."

Go & do

What: "Earth from Space," Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition

When: Now through June 28

Where: University Museum, 3219 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Details: For a complete listing of events and activities related to the exhibit, visit www.uni.edu/museum or call 273-2188.

An educational companion Web site, www.earthfromspace.si.edu, is also available and contains an online version of the exhibition with additional images and information. It also provides educational resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, Web site links and available publications.

"Earth from Space" is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This exhibition has been made possible by Global Imagination. Additional support has been provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Smithsonian Women's Committee. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, and John Deere Waterloo Operations are sponsors of these public programs.