2012 from the perspective of space

This image was taken by WorldView-1 satellite on January 17, when the Costa Concordia ship was sunk because it hit an underground rock off the coast of Isola Giglio, Italy. The disaster has claimed 32 lives on board - (Photo: BBC News)

Heavy smoke rises from oil pipelines in Homs, Syria on February 15. The pipeline is close to rebel control and blown up by government forces - (Photo: BBC News)

The picture took 1/3, one day after the tornado level 4 raged in Harrisburg in Illinois, USA. The photo captures the path of the tornado from west to east, damaging many houses and buildings, and even Harrisburg Medical Center - (Photo: BBC News)

Photo of the Olympic Park, London, taken by Digital Globe satellite on July 24. There have been 10,000 athletes competing in the London 2012 Olympics - this event is greatly praised for its tremendous success - (Photo: BBC News)

In July, an ice sheet twice the size of Manhattan was separated from the Petermann glacier, northern Greenland. The ice is about half the size of an ice sheet once separated from the 2010 Petermann glacier - (Photo: BBC News)

Photograph of the "Curious" robot parachuting into the surface of the Red Planet on August 6 - (Photo: BBC News)

Image of a cloud hanging on Mount Fuji, Japan taken by Digital Globe's WorldView 2 satellite on September 2, looking like a patch of ice - (Photo: BBC News)

Space shuttle Endeavor is on its way to its new home at the California Science Center, near downtown Los Angeles, USA. Photos taken on September 20 - (Photo: BBC News)

This image was taken by NASA's GOES satellite on October 29, showing that Hurricane Sandy stirred off the east coast of the United States. Hurricane Sandy has claimed more than 50 lives in the Caribbean - (Photo: BBC News)

In December, NASA released a new global composite image showing the night portion of Earth. The photo shows light from city lights, aurora, forest fires and moonlight reflections in detail and sophistication - (Photo: BBC News)