Wuhan to the Beirut blast: 2020's biggest moments photographed from above

Take a look at the best satellite images capturing world events in 2020 from Maxar Technologies

A satellite image shows the Huoshenshan Hospital amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 22, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) near Deir Hassan, Syria, February 16, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows St. Peter's square during the Palm Sunday, in Rome, Italy, April 5, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows an overview of the East Troublesome Fire at Grand Lake, Colorado, US, October 24, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows the damage after an explosion at Beirut's port, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows an overview of burned shelters at the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos, Greece on September 10, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows La Jolla Beach, California, US, July 12, 2020. Reuters

A view shows the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio, that ran aground on a reef, Mauritius, August 12, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows an overview of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam, Ethiopia, June 26, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in the Aegean port city of Izmir, Turkey, November 3, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows the destroyed building of inter-Korean liaison office, North Korea, June 22, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows a ruptured oil tank in Norilsk, Russia June 7, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows a "Black Lives Matter" mural in Washington, DC on June 24, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows an overview of the Vila Formosa Cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, April 9, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows destroyed homes and buildings in the aftermath of a Hurricane on Providencia Island, Colombia, November 29, 2020. Reuters

A satellite image shows an empty Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia on April 3, 2020. Reuters

Overview of SpaceX launch facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, U.S. December 10, 2020. Reuters

A close up of SpaceX Starship inside vert assembly in Boca Chica. Reuters

From the fight for racial equality to the start of a pandemic, many of 2020's tragedies and triumphs could be viewed from above.

Here are some of the images that summed up 2020 from above. Take a look at the gallery to see even more.

The outbreak of Covid-19

A satellite image shows the Huoshenshan Hospital amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 22, 2020. Reuters

Wuhan was reported as the first wide-scale outbreak of Covid-19, the disease that would, over the course of a year, shut millions indoors under strict lockdowns and kill over 1.7 million.

Many questions remain about the origins of Covid-19 and the role Wuhan's exotic wildlife trade may have played in it.

Although authorities closed the Huanan market in January, there is a growing scientific consensus that the virus did not originate there. Some studies suggest it was already in circulation by the time it reached the market, with more than one transmission route.

Today, Wuhan has largely returned to normal. The city hasn't reported a new Covid-19 case since May. Its streets, bars, wet markets and restaurants are crowded.

Black Lives Matter

A satellite image shows a "Black Lives Matter" mural in Washington, DC on June 24, 2020. Reuters

The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May sparked historic protests against racial injustice and police brutality across the world.

Floyd, who was unarmed, suffocated beneath the knee of a white police officer. Horrified passers-by filmed his death, with the footage swiftly going viral.

This photograph shows a huge mural in Washington DC, painted overnight in yellow by a team of artists.

The battle is still being fought. On December 21, police in Columbus, Ohio shot dead an unarmed black man, Andre Maurice Hill, 47.

Columbus police chief Thomas Quinlan announced on December 24 that he was moving to fire the officer, Adam Coy, on allegations of "critical misconduct".

Izmir's devastating earthquake

A satellite image shows tents and shelters at Asik Veysel recreation area after the earthquake in Izmir, Turkey, November 3, 2020. Satellite image. 2020 Maxar Technologies / Reuters

In October, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the western Turkish city of Izmir, killing 115, despite a series of remarkable rescues, including a three year old rescued after 91 hours and a 70 year old after 34 hours.

Mauritius oil spill

A satellite image shows the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio and its oil spill after it ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Maxar Technologies via Reuters

Environmental workers and residents were left scrambling to protect Mauritius' precious wildlife in august after the MV Wakashio ran aground off the island nation.

At least 40 dolphins died after oil spilled from the oil tanker's split hull. Data shows the ship strayed more than 100 kilometres from a regular shipping lane before it crashed.

Beirut Port blast 

The Orient Queen cruise ship was capsized by the ferocity of the Beirut explosions. AFP

The August 4 Beirut blast was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded. It killed some 200 people, wounded thousands and devastated swathes of the Lebanese capital.

More than four months later, victims are still awaiting the result of the investigation into why 2,750 tonnes of potentially explosive material were stored unsafely at the port, which is surrounded by residential areas, for more than six years.

In the photo above, a cruise ship is seen on its side near the destroyed warehouses at Beirut's port.

Gigantic iceberg heads for penguin island

A satellite image of the A-68A iceberg as it approaches South Georgia island (R) in the South Atlantic, December 4, 2020. Copernicus Sentinel-Pierre Markuse/ Reuters

Scientists have been watching a massive iceberg drift toward South Georgia Island, home to thousands of penguins, throughout December. It measured 4,200-square-kilometres, as it rode a fast-track current towards the island, but broke apart on December 18.

The iceberg, dubbed A68a, approached the western shelf edge of the south Atlantic island this week and encountered strong currents, causing it to pivot nearly 180 degrees. A large piece broke off and is an iceberg in its own right.

It already has a name - A68d.