Some speculate that this is evidence that some of these pictures wee taken via aerial photography rather than satellite photography. That would explain this and other shots that seem to be taken from quite close to the flying airplanes.
Anonymous
@ 2005-07-24 14:53:23
To shed some light on this. When the USGS undertakes a world mapping project, the source of the pics can be airborne and spaceborne. Conspiracy? I think not. USGS has to "pay" like anybody else and spaceborne imagery is more expensive.