Martin Luther King Jr. came of age in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
A sprawling low-pressure system swept across the eastern half of the U.S., delivering high winds, heavy rain and snow, and tornado damage.
Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes
Winter snow lingering into the summer is a welcome sight in drought-stricken Chile.
Published Jan 12, 2024
A blanket of morning fog in January made the Nile Delta look like a tuft of cotton.
Published Jan 10, 2024
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Jan 9, 2024
In the aftermath of consecutive winter storms, rivers in central England overflowed their banks.
Published Jan 8, 2024
The burst of turquoise and tan hues in Alaskan waters is in stark contrast to the snowy shoreline.
Published Jan 8, 2024
Infrastructure, aquaculture, and an artificial island are found along this coastal stretch of southwest India.
Published Jan 7, 2024
Some of the longest nights of the year in northern Europe were also utterly frigid in early 2024.
Published Jan 5, 2024
Seasonal melting produced striking hues atop the sea ice before it broke away from the coast.
Published Jan 5, 2024
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.
Heavy rain overtopped the banks of the River Severn and caused travel delays.
Published Jan 3, 2024
Parallel rows of cumulus clouds streamed from icy domains out over open water.
Published Jan 3, 2024
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.
These maps show the average amount of water vapor in a column of atmosphere by month. Water vapor is the key precursor for rain and snow and one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
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
Features in this northern British Columbia volcanic area draw their names from a few of our favorite wintry things.
Published Jan 2, 2024
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are uniquely positioned to capture striking photos of the Sun and Earth.
Published Jan 1, 2024
The terrain near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers is topographically varied compared to the relatively flat Midwest.
Published Dec 31, 2023
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
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Snow and ice influence climate by reflecting sunlight back into space. When it melts, snow is a source of water for drinking and vegetation; too much snowmelt can lead to floods. These maps show average snow cover by month.
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Dec 26, 2023
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
The 2023 season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity generally occurring in September.
Published Jun 1, 2023
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
Wildland fires in 2023 brought hazy skies and poor air quality to several countries north of the equator.
Published May 22, 2023
From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.
Published Feb 28, 2023
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.
Sea salt, volcanic ash, dust, wildfire smoke, and industrial pollution are types of airborne aerosols. Natural aerosols tend to be larger than human-made aerosols. These maps show when and where aerosols come from nature, humans, or both.
Over the years, astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory have snapped spectacular photographs of Earth’s snow and ice in both hemispheres.
Published Dec 21, 2022
In honor of our site anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from 23 years online — one image for each day of the calendar year.
Published Apr 26, 2022
