NASA shows the real shape of Earth, resembling a potato (VIDEO)

NASA has released a visualization of Earth's geoid, which, due to a 10,000-fold exaggeration of gravitational anomalies, resembles a potato. The model, based on 15 years of satellite data, shows uneven gravity distribution caused by varying subsurface density and terrain. Real deviations are only 191 meters. The geoid is a mathematical abstraction, not a physical portrait of the planet, used for climate monitoring, navigation, and cartography.

NASA has released a visualization of Earth's geoid, which, due to a 10,000-fold exaggeration of gravitational anomalies, resembles a potato. The model, created from 15 years of continuous observations by 19 specialized satellites collecting over a billion unique measurements, shows uneven gravity distribution caused by varying subsurface density and surface terrain. Real deviations are only 191 meters — the difference between the 'highest' point of the gravitational field (near Iceland) and the 'lowest' (south of India). On a planetary scale, this is negligible, so Earth actually appears as a nearly perfect smooth sphere. The geoid is a mathematical abstraction describing the planet's shape if the ocean surface were determined solely by gravity and rotation. For science, this data is invaluable: climate monitoring (tracking water and ice mass movement), geodesy and navigation (ultra-precise GPS operation), and cartography (calculating heights and coordinates). The article is popular science in nature, clarifying misconceptions about Earth's physical shape.