DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) has launched DISH Earth, a channel exclusively available to DISH Network customers that offers dramatic live views of Earth 24 hours per day, including passing views of the moon, Venus, and even unidentified flying objects — you can view the camera’s live feed at no charge on Ch. 212, starting immediately.

The DISH Earth channel content is supported by a camera installed on DISH Network’s EchoStar 11 satellite, the world’s first Earth-directed camera mounted on a commercial communications satellite. Six years in the making, the DISH Earth camera offers a 30 degree x 22.4 degree field-of-view that includes fascinating live full-disk views of the planet from a distance of approximately 22,300 miles above Earth. The regular night/day cycle, weather patterns, and seasonal changes in the western hemisphere are clearly visible via the ‘eyes’ of the camera, which observe objects in the visible spectrum, similar to the human eye, with a resolution of about 20 km per pixel. The EchoStar 11 high powered satellite was launched in 2008 to a geo-synchronous orbit at 110 degrees West, which provides video service for DISH Network customers. In addition to the live video footage, DISH Network has also partnered with Space Services, Inc. (SSI), a Houston-based aerospace company, to offer consumers a high resolution photo of the planet on a loved one’s special day via its Give the World™ service. The camera captures the cloud formations, storms, and the green and blue beauty of planet Earth forever in a nicely packaged photo frame to commemorate a birthday, wedding, anniversary or any memorable occasion. The DISH Earth camera was developed by the EchoStar Spacecraft Operations Team, Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation of Pasadena, California, and Space Systems/Loral and is operated under a license granted by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).