Beijing, China, is having insane smog right now, so heavy that flights and concerts are being canceled. Officially, visibility is around 160 feet, although people are reporting being able to see only a few yards in front of their faces, and small-particle pollution is 40 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization. And here is what it looks like from space, as photographed by NASA satellites:
By contrast, here’s what it looked like on a clearer day in early September:
Aliens are for sure looking at us and shaking their heads, or whatever, real sadly right now.
(H/t Charlie Loyd)
![cantaloupe](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/cantaloupe.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1000)