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Is Fire Activity Declining in Northwestern India?
Image of the Day Jan 23, 2025

Is Fire Activity Declining in Northwestern India?

Satellites detected unusually low numbers of crop fires in Punjab and Haryana in 2024, and scientists are trying to understand why.
Meltwater Ponds on the Amery Ice Shelf
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Meltwater Ponds on the Amery Ice Shelf

Blue puddles of water were visible atop this East Antarctic ice shelf after periods of record melting.

Published Jan 21, 2025

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Lava Flows of the Sáttítla Highlands
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Lava Flows of the Sáttítla Highlands

This U.S. national monument, rich in geological and cultural heritage, displays Northern California’s fiery past.

Published Jan 20, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Madagascar’s Ambohiby Complex
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Madagascar’s Ambohiby Complex

The concentric rings of an ancient, extinct volcanic system stand above the island nation’s relatively flat central highlands.

Published Jan 19, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Unhealthy Skies over Los Angeles County
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Unhealthy Skies over Los Angeles County

A series of images captured by NASA’s TEMPO sensor show the shifting location of nitrogen dioxide as destructive fires raged and smoke plumes streamed over the region.

Published Jan 17, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires

The Palisades Fire’s Footprint
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The Palisades Fire’s Footprint

The fire in Los Angeles County burned through nearly 24,000 acres in one week in January 2025.

Published Jan 16, 2025

Image of the Day Heat Fires Human Presence Remote Sensing

Eaton Fire Leaves California Landscape Charred
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Eaton Fire Leaves California Landscape Charred

A NASA airborne instrument captured images of the fire’s aftermath in and around Altadena.

Published Jan 15, 2025

Image of the Day Land Fires Human Presence Remote Sensing

Another Puff from Whakaari
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Another Puff from Whakaari

The perpetually restless and occasionally explosive volcano in New Zealand has been emitting steam, volcanic gases, and a bit of ash.  

Published Jan 14, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Volcanoes

Smoke Streams from Palisades and Eaton Fires
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Smoke Streams from Palisades and Eaton Fires

Several plumes billowed from Los Angeles-area fires in the days after their ignition.

Published Jan 13, 2025

Image of the Day Fires Remote Sensing

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Dec 2024

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly

These maps depict anomalies in land surface temperatures (LSTs); that is, how much hotter or cooler a region was compared to the long-term average. LST anomalies can indicate heat waves or cold spells.

Heat Land

Aerosol Optical Depth
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Dec 2024

Aerosol Optical Depth

Airborne aerosols can cause or prevent cloud formation and harm human health. These maps depict aerosol concentrations in the air based on how the tiny particles reflect or absorb visible and infrared light.

Atmosphere

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies
Article

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

What do you do when presented with a new satellite image? Here's what the Earth Observatory team does to understand the view.

Published Nov 18, 2013

Remote Sensing

Snow on the Turtle Mountains
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Snow on the Turtle Mountains

Patches of forest thrive on a plateau that straddles the border between North Dakota and Manitoba.  

Published Jan 13, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Earth at Night
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Earth at Night

Satellite images of Earth at night have been a curiosity for the public and a tool of fundamental research for at least 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness.

Published Apr 12, 2017

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Blue Marble Next Generation
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Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Published Oct 13, 2005

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

Chlorophyll
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Dec 2024

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is used by algae and other phytoplankton--the grass of the sea--to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars. These maps show chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean, revealing where phytoplankton are thriving.

Life Water

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Dec 2024

Land Surface Temperature

Land surface temperatures rise and fall with the heat of the Sun, and they represent how hot or cold the surface would feel to touch. These maps show daytime land temperatures as measured from space.

Heat Land

World of Change
Article

World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Published Apr 29, 2009

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

Cairo’s Colorful Nightscape
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Cairo’s Colorful Nightscape

The older and newer cities of the Greater Cairo region look very different at night when viewed from above.

Published Jan 12, 2025

Image of the Day Human Presence

2024 Was the Warmest Year on Record
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2024 Was the Warmest Year on Record

A NASA analysis shows that global temperatures in 2024 were 1.28 degrees Celsius (2.30 degrees Fahrenheit) above the agency’s 20th-century baseline.

Published Jan 10, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Temperature Extremes

Satellites Spot a “Ghost” Island
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Satellites Spot a “Ghost” Island

The Kumani Bank mud volcano in the Caspian Sea suddenly manifested an island in early 2023 that had nearly disappeared by the end of 2024.

Published Jan 10, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Happy 2025 from NASA Earth Observatory!
Earth Matters

Happy 2025 from NASA Earth Observatory!

We are kicking off 2025 with much to look forward to but also much to look back on.

Published Jan 6, 2025

Climate Indicators Snow and Ice

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.

Published Jul 1, 2024

Atmosphere

Net Radiation
Global Maps Jul 2006 — Dec 2024

Net Radiation

Net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere. It is the total energy available to influence climate after light and heat are reflected, absorbed, or emitted by clouds and land.

Heat

Renewable and Alternative Energy
Article

Renewable and Alternative Energy

People have developed systems to harvest and store energy from sources such as wind, sunlight, and tidal action. Many of these installations are visible from orbit.

Published May 10, 2024

Land Human Presence

Air Quality
Article

Air Quality

From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.

Published Apr 8, 2024

Atmosphere Human Presence

Temperature Extremes 2024
Article

Temperature Extremes 2024

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Mar 26, 2024

Heat

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere
Article

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere

Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some areas as the world warms.

Published Feb 27, 2024

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

Mission: Biomes
Article

Mission: Biomes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a different part of the world? What would the weather be like? What kinds of animals would you see? Which plants live there? By investigating these questions, you are learning about biomes.

Published Aug 28, 2020

Land Life

Vegetation
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Nov 2024

Vegetation

Greenness is an important indicator of health for forests, grasslands, and farms. The greenness of a landscape, or vegetation index, depends on the number and type of plants, how leafy they are, and how healthy they are.

Land Life

Temperature Extremes 2023
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Temperature Extremes 2023

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Aug 15, 2023

Heat

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