Costa Concordia cruise ship pictured from space

The huge scale of the Costa Concordia disaster is apparent in this satellite image of the stricken cruise ship just off the Italian island of Giglio.

The oil boom that aims to protect the coast from fuel leaks from the ship's giant tanks is visible trailing along the left-hand side. The island and its surrounding waters are part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, which is home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

The ship is in a precarious position after swiftly capsizing on an undersea ridge after striking the rocks on Friday. Within 45 minutes of the crash, it was listing at an angle too steep for lifeboats to be lowered from its port side. Rescue work has been suspended since the ship slipped, amid fears it could slide into deeper waters.

This image was captured by WorldView-1, a commercial imaging satellite operated by DigitalGlobe.