A Swirl of a Day for Phytoplankton
Image of the Day Mar 26, 2025

A Swirl of a Day for Phytoplankton

In the Gulf of Oman, eddies drew seasonal phytoplankton blooms into mesmerizing whirls. 
Geometric Connections in Puglia
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Geometric Connections in Puglia

The Italian region displays a network of lines—and one nearly perfect circle—that connect inland settlements and agricultural areas with the bustling Adriatic coast.

Published Mar 23, 2025

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Floating Solar in Madhya Pradesh
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Floating Solar in Madhya Pradesh

Buoyant photovoltaic systems, also called floatovoltaics, have been deployed across a reservoir in central India.

Published Mar 22, 2025

Image of the Day Water Human Presence

Low Ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
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Low Ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

The body of water off eastern Canada is one of the southernmost locations where Arctic sea ice forms, but its extent in winter 2024-2025 was well below normal.

Published Mar 21, 2025

Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice

Signs of Life in Thawing Lake Erie
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Signs of Life in Thawing Lake Erie

As winter turned to spring, ice cover on the lake diminished to reveal colorful billows of sediment and phytoplankton.

Published Mar 20, 2025

Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice Water Color

An Asteroid’s Bite in an Australian Mountain Range
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An Asteroid’s Bite in an Australian Mountain Range

The asteroid that smashed into northern Australia and caused the Amelia Creek impact structure transformed mountain ridges in the blast zone.

Published Mar 20, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Farming on the Straight, Curved, and Narrow
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Farming on the Straight, Curved, and Narrow

Repeated land divisions over centuries have created a complex mosaic of ribbon-like fields in southern Poland.

Published Mar 19, 2025

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Dusty Inferno Hits Oklahoma
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Dusty Inferno Hits Oklahoma

A major weather system spawned wind-fueled fires and dust storms in the state before moving east.

Published Mar 17, 2025

Image of the Day Land Dust and Haze Human Presence

Baja California’s Arid Delta
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Baja California’s Arid Delta

A salt-encrusted landscape surrounds the Colorado River where it once emptied into the Gulf of California.

Published Mar 16, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Swirling Skies and Melting Icebergs
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Swirling Skies and Melting Icebergs

The remote South Sandwich Islands can disrupt passing clouds in ways that shed alternating rows of cloud spirals. 

Published Mar 15, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Bahía Blanca Inundated
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Bahía Blanca Inundated

Torrential rains set off dangerous flash flooding in the Argentinian port city.

Published Mar 14, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes

Nyamulagira Brings the Heat
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Nyamulagira Brings the Heat

Clouds parted to reveal fresh lava flows on the slopes of the East African Rift volcano.

Published Mar 12, 2025

Image of the Day Volcanoes Remote Sensing

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Jun 2002 — Sep 2011

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly

These maps depict how much hotter or cooler an ocean basin was compared to the long-term average. Temperature anomalies can indicate changes in ocean circulation or the arrival of patterns like El Niño and La Niña.

Heat Water

March Puzzler
Earth Matters

March Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published Mar 11, 2025

Water Vapor
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Feb 2025

Water Vapor

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.

Atmosphere

Aerosol Size
Global Maps Jan 2005 — Sep 2016

Aerosol Size

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.

Atmosphere

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

Adventures and Preparing To Be On the Land
Notes from the Field

Adventures and Preparing To Be On the Land

"Leaf-to-orbit" activities began as the campers arrived in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Published Mar 4, 2025

Earth at Night
Article

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

A Colorful Scientific Homecoming
Notes from the Field

A Colorful Scientific Homecoming

After 31 years, scientist Joaquin Chaves returned to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for another international expedition.

Published Feb 27, 2025

Water

Vegetation
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Jan 2025

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

Preparing for an On-The-Land Camp
Notes from the Field

Preparing for an On-The-Land Camp

A new camp in Canada’s Northwest Territories would allow youth to view wetland environments from a ‘leaf-to-orbit’ perspective.

Published Feb 25, 2025

Blue Marble Next Generation
Article

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 — Jan 2025

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

February Puzzler
Earth Matters

February Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published Feb 25, 2025

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

Snow Cover
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Feb 2025

Snow Cover

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.

Snow and Ice

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

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

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

Temperature Extremes 2023
Article

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