On Monday morning, Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico sprang a leak after an explosion which also caused it to sink. As attempts to shut off the well were unsuccessful, initial estimates suggest a staggering 42,000 gallons (about 1,000 barrels) of oil is seeping into the waters per day.

The coast guard made a statement on Tuesday that the Gulf oil spill measured 42 by 80 miles end to end, the vast oil expanse seeming to disappear beyond the horizon. Aerial shots of the incident show that most of the oil is hovering at the water's surface, looking like a sickly pudding skin.

Thankfully, the spill occurred roughly 36 miles offshore and winds over the last couple of days have been helping in sweeping it away even further. However, these kinds of factors can change in an instant, and there is still the underlying concern of any oil reaching the shores of Mississippi, Louisiana, or Florida. According to NASDAQ.com, a rather pessimistic National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official predicted that the oil is expected to hit shores on Saturday, and when it does, the ensuing environmental disaster will harm local businesses and President Obama's plan to let the oil industry drill in new offshore areas.

To ensure that never happens, the huge task of cleanup has yielded many different methods. Skimming vessels have already collected more than 48,000 gallons of oily water, and ships with surface boom lines being dragged behind them work to contain the oil's expansion. Dispersant fell from planes onto the more saturated, rainbow-colored areas, hoping to break down the molecules so that they can evaporate into thin air. All the while officials have been trying to seal off the well and stop the leak itself with remote-controlled vehicles.

The explosion that caused this leak occurred one week ago, resulting in 17 injured crew members (one of which remains hospitalized) and 11 still missing.

A NASA satellite image that was taken on Sunday, April 25th illustrates the size of the oil spill.