Photos: The emperor penguins of Antarctica from space

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Emperor penguins in Antarctica, photographed by University of Minnesota researcher Michelle LaRue. (Photo courtesy Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota/Link to story) link to this photo

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Researchers from the University of Minnesota's Polar Geospatial Center have co-authored new research with partners from the British Antarctic Survey that shows there are twice as many emperor penguins in the Antarctic than scientists previously thought. They used cutting-edge, high-resolution satellite mapping technology in this groundbreaking census. In the image at left, a penguin colony is visible at Cape Colbeck. The image at right is of emperor penguins taken by UMN researcher Michelle LaRue. (Photos courtesy DigitalGlobe, left; Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota, right/Link to story) link to this photo

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At left, part of a colony of penguins in Antarctica photographed by UMN researcher Michelle LaRue. The satellite image at right shows a penguin colony at Peterson Bank. (Photos courtesy Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota, left; DigitalGlobe, right/Link to story) link to this photo

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These two satellite images taken from space over Antarctica show penguin colonies at Peterson Bank, left, and Cape Roget, right. (Photos courtesy DigitalGlobe/Link to story) link to this photo

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ANTARCTICA — The satellite image at left was taken over Cape Washinton, Antarctica. The dark cloud-like area to the left of the promontory is a colony of emperor penguins. At right, penguin researchers prepare a sled before heading out across the Antarctica ice. (Images courtesy DigitalGlobe, left; Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota, right/Link to story) link to this photo

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ANTARCTICA — The satellite image at left shows a close-up of the Helley penguin colony in Antarctica. At right is a close-up of the colony at Cape Roget. (Images courtesy of DigitalGlobe/Link to story) link to this photo

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Reasearchers with the University of Minnesota's Polar Geospatial Center have co-authored new research with partners from the British Antarctic Survey that shows there are twice as many emperor penguins in the Antarctic than scientists previously thought. Here, some of them wander close to the researchers' snowmobiles. (Photo courtesy Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota/Link to story) link to this photo