This computer-generated illustration of Earth is derived from orbiting, and ground-based instruments. It is a topographic view of the continents with the vegetation of earth superimposed over them. The vegetation was recorded by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) aboard the NOAA-7, 9, 11, and 15 satellites. The amount of vegetation ranges from light brown (little vegetation), through yellow and orange, to green (heavy vegetation).