File:Galapagos Islands (MODIS 2018-03-26).jpg

English: The Galapagos Islands are a group of about 125 islands, islets, and rocks which straddle the equator about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from continental Ecuador. Made famous by Charles Darwin’s book, "The Voyage of the Beagle", published in 1839, this “little world within itself” became well-known for its diversity of species and high percentage of species found nowhere else on Earth. The uniqueness of the animal populations – and yet their connection with species found in America, separated by at least 500 miles of open ocean – helped Darwin created his evolutionary theory found in his book, "On the Origin of Species".

The Galapagos is home to nearly 9,000 species, many of which are endemic and rare, such as the giant tortoises, flightless cormorant, and the only species of penguin that lives north of the equator. Hunting, pressures from human explorations, and introduction of non-native animals, such as cats and dogs, has put pressure on many native species, threatening their future. Groups such as the Galapagos Preservation Society work to minimize the impacts on wildlife and ensure a safe future for as many species as possible on these Ecuadorian islands.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Galapagos Islands on March 10, 2018. The verdant greens of plant life contrasts with the tans of the rocky landscape on each of the islands. Oval calderas on several of the islands present proof of the volcanic origins of the archipelago.