Earth Matters

Help Us Choose the Best Photos

February 6th, 2021 by Mike Carlowicz

For more than 20 years, astronauts have been shooting photographs of Earth from the International Space Station. Before that, they looked down from Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, the Space Shuttles, and MIR. They have brought us unique views of our home planet in all of its wonder, beauty, and ferocity. They have also made some interesting and timely science observations along the way.

More than 1,000 of those photos have been published here on NASA Earth Observatory. We would like you to help us choose the best in our archives. In early March, we will launch Tournament Earth: Astronaut Photography, and we want you to be part of the selection committee.

From now through February 19, 2021, search our archives and point out the best photos shot by the astronauts. Post the URLs of your favorite photos in the comments section below.

Please choose images from these collections:

EO Astronaut Photography Collection

Visible Earth: Astronaut Photography

Please note that there are 30+ pages of images to scroll through — an internet rabbit hole of incredible beauty.

In March 2021, we will include some of your selections in Tournament Earth, a head-to-head contest to vote for the best of the best from our archives. Each week, readers will pick from pairs of images as we narrow down the field from 32 nominees to one champion. The Tournament Earth champion will be announced in early April.

So get browsing and get choosing. Then post your favorite URLs in the comments section by February 19.

If you want to learn more about how and why astronauts shoot photos of our planet — and the special training involved — check out our video series “Picturing Earth.”
Astronaut Photography in Focus

Window on the World

Behind the Scenes

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50 Responses to “Help Us Choose the Best Photos”

  1. Ivette Rodriguez says:

    Great caption of our World, MOUNT SHASTA

  2. hedia says:

    Great pics of wonderful mother Earth, soooo difficult to choose!
    Thank you NASA and all astronauts!

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147719/el-bibane-lagoon
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147158/lighthouse-reef-and-the-great-blue-hole
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146570/rolling-through-the-appalachians
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146654/wide-eyed-over-mexico
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145332/an-eagle-takes-off-for-home
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145226/raikoke-erupts
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92912/earth-awash-in-lights-of-the-night
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92591/lake-van-turkey
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92232/grand-erg-oriental-algeria
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91409/night-lights-of-the-levant
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/90410/fish-ponds-and-rice-fields-lower-guadalquivir-river
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89541/checkerboarding-in-northern-idaho
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89341/al-jawf-eastern-libya
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89168/fiery-south-atlantic-sunset
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88922/a-curious-ensemble-of-wonderful-features
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88840/grosser-aletschgletscher
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88348/paris-at-night
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/87494/compelling-coastline-along-roebuck-bay
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/85855/scandinavia-at-night
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/85630/typhoon-maysak-from-the-international-space-station
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84884/italy-at-night
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84400/dust-and-clouds-dance-over-the-sahara
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/80456/tristan-da-cunha-south-atlantic-ocean
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/78196/viewing-the-transit-of-venus-from-space
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/76853/love-and-joy-for-the-new-year
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/51346/final-hook-up
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/46668/syr-darya-river-floodplain-kazakhstan-central-asia
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38985/sarychev-peak-eruption-kuril-islands
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/8372/sao-simao-reservoir-brazil-300000th-iss-image-of-the-earth

  3. Ryan M says:

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147551/african-dust-plume-blankets-the-caribbean
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146794/astronauts-launch-from-american-soil
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146848/mediterranean-sunglint
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146824/a-pair-of-niles-and-deltas
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146570/rolling-through-the-appalachians
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146271/maiella-massif-italy
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146301/nevado-sajama-and-parinacota
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145913/comb-ridge-utah
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145226/raikoke-erupts
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144231/the-largest-river-delta-in-europe
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144200/a-close-up-view-of-the-betsiboka
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144144/a-dusty-view-of-the-al-qassim-region
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92469/an-astronauts-view-of-mount-st-helens
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92425/connemara-national-park
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92370/amazon-meanders-in-sunglint
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92504/sand-sea-margin-namib-desert
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92270/history-and-seaports-in-charleston
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92071/richat-structure
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92040/a-clear-view-of-scottish-highlands
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91680/emi-koussi-and-wind-grooves
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91584/castellanus-cloud-tower
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91119/barchan-dunes-and-lagoons-southern-brazil

  4. Ioanna says:

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147765/socked-in-stratovolcano
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147700/newberry-volcano
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147551/african-dust-plume-blankets-the-caribbean
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147355/coloring-the-great-salt-lake
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147274/moraleda-channel-chile
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147046/cooper-creek-australia
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146918/pacific-northwest-bathed-in-green-and-white
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146499/sunlit-peaks-in-the-himalayas
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146301/nevado-sajama-and-parinacota
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146328/reservoirs-bends-and-canyons-on-the-colorado-plateau
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146378/rocas-atoll
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145913/comb-ridge-utah
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145548/mount-rainier
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145226/raikoke-erupts
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144144/a-dusty-view-of-the-al-qassim-region
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92912/earth-awash-in-lights-of-the-night
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92591/lake-van-turkey
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92504/sand-sea-margin-namib-desert
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92469/an-astronauts-view-of-mount-st-helens
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92071/richat-structure
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91680/emi-koussi-and-wind-grooves
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91264/salt-glacier-zagros-mountains
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/90647/crater-lake
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/90326/meidob-volcanic-field
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89482/lake-powell-and-grand-staircase-escalante
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89348/laguna-del-negro-francisco
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/89288/uluru
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88026/stargazing-from-the-iss
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/87766/mount-fuji
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/87798/dunes-of-the-grand-erg-oriental
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/87059/mauna-kea-volcano-hawaii
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/86135/laguna-colorada
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84853/an-expanse-of-white-in-bolivia
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84536/egmont-national-park-new-zealand
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/83438/kavir-desert-iran
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/83495/grand-canyon-geology-lessons-on-view
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/83249/southern-patagonia-ice-field
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82944/western-sahara-desert-mauritania
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82882/bazman-volcano-iran
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82975/hawaii
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82588/islands-of-the-four-mountains
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82517/dune-movement-around-aorounga
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82244/ruapehu-volcano-and-tongariro-volcanic-complex
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/81387/steam-plume-at-gaua-volcano
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/81106/laguna-verde
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/81205/pavlof-volcano-alaska-peninsula
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/77981/lake-powell-and-the-rincon-utah
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/77851/ouarkziz-impact-crater-algeria
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/76534/hovering-on-the-horizon
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/51726/island-of-crete-greece
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/51349/shoemaker-impact-structure-western-australia
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/48785/onekotan-island-kuril-islands-russian-federation
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/47514/kamchatka-volcanoes
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/43256/llullaillaco-volcano-argentina-chile-border

  5. Martin says:

    iss063e081395_lrg.jpg

  6. Chris Bean says:

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145595/south-pacific-swirl

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145443/a-misty-morning-in-the-mountains

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145226/raikoke-erupts

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91264/salt-glacier-zagros-mountains

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/85630/typhoon-maysak-from-the-international-space-station

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84415/keeping-an-eye-on-edouard

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84400/dust-and-clouds-dance-over-the-sahara

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82588/islands-of-the-four-mountains

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/82471/activity-at-klyuchevskoy-volcano

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/52178/melt-ponds-petermann-ice-island

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38985/sarychev-peak-eruption-kuril-islands

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/8542/cumulonimbus-cloud-over-africa

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/8062/international-space-station-from-the-space-shuttle

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/6732/nukuoro-atoll-federated-states-of-micronesia

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/4126/measuring-water-depth-from-the-international-space-station

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/3869/toquepala-copper-mine-southern-peru

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/3681/iles-glorieuses

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/2982/mining-and-agriculture-in-kazakhstan

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/2923/spectacular-view-of-etna-from-the-international-space-station

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/2443/thunderstorms-over-brazil

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/2416/aswan-high-dam-in-6-meter-resolution-from-the-international-space-station

    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1570/watery-gem-of-northern-italy-the-city-of-venice