Vestiges of Medieval Brittany among signs of modern civilisation in this simulated natural colour satellite image of Chateaubriant, France. The small city is silver, coloured by light bouncing off the reflective surfaces. The surrounding country is an irregular patchwork of small fields, reflecting land use in the Middle Ages. Plant-covered land is still green and water is dark blue. By late November, crops had been harvested and many of the fields were bare. The exposed soil ranges from pale tan to brown in the image. Other fields (possibly pastures) remained green, even late in the year. Patches of forest on the right and lower edges of the image are brown and dark green

Photograph: ASTER/Terra/Nasa