Airbus has published an image taken by one of the French Pléiades Neo satellites. The image shows the funeral of Pope Francis.
The Pléiades Neo constellation consists of two identical vehicles in a 62-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. They are designed for multiwave imaging of the earth’s surface and are capable of capturing images with a resolution of up to 30 cm per pixel.
The image was taken on the morning of April 26. It shows an unprecedented view of mourners gathered in St. Peter’s Square and the funeral procession.
The procession began at St. Peter’s Basilica, one of Rome’s most iconic landmarks. The high-resolution images show the complex details of the basilica’s architecture, including its grand dome and ornate facades, and provide a unique view of the thousands of people gathered in and around St. Peter’s Square, including archbishops, bishops and cardinals for the ceremony.
The full version of the image, available on the Airbus website, also allows you to examine the carefully planned route followed by the procession after leaving St. Peter’s Square. If you zoom in on the photo, you can see where the procession would have crossed the Tiber River and gone past the Colosseum to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. It became the resting place of Pope Francis. The photo also provides a detailed look at many of Rome’s other famous landmarks, from the Forum to the Pantheon.
