Picture of the day

Because every so often we need a satellite based photographic reminder of just how fucked the Gulf Coast is, NASA has provided yet another stunning example of just how much goddamn oil is in the water.

And even the satellites are not able to show the full devastation. There's all those underwater oil plumes that BP says don't exist and then there's the fact that "satellite images are not a perfect tool for detecting oil on the surface of water. Outside of the sunglint area (the part of the satellite image where the mirror-like reflection of the Sun is blurred into a wide, washed out strip by waves), the oil may be imperceptible against the dark background of the water."

So there's that. And just how much oil is in the water? Recent estimates about the oil spill have doubled. Which, if you remember, was after the previous estimates had been increased tenfold from previous estimates which had increased fivefold, from previous estimates which had doubled. And they still are probably underestimating the amount of oil in the water. Just imagine the biggest number you can think of and then double that. That's how much oil is in the water. One kajillion fafillion bazillion gallons of oil.

Anyway, onto NASA's latest photos. Click to embiggen.



Take that Mother Earth. We've finally defeated you.