One of the shots released by the French space agency (Cnes) is of central Paris, showing the Louvre and the Place De La Concorde - "naturellement".

BBC: Sharp-eyed Pleiades returns first pictures

One of the largest is in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, where the 32m (108ft) Egyptian obelisk has, after a couple of false starts, been converted into a giant sundial with the help of a few judiciously placed markings on the pavement.

ECONOMIST: Gnomonic possession

The BBC television presentation team will be based in a specially constructed studio overlooking the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris.

BBC: TV at the heart of France 98