As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.
An ongoing eruption blankets cities and farmland near the volcano with layers of ash.
New evidence shows that a sufficient amount of daylight penetrates the ice to sustain blooms of floating, plant-like organisms.
Published Nov 29, 2022
The origin of this nearly perfectly curved shoreline, a feature not often found in nature, has prompted an ongoing geologic debate.
Published Nov 28, 2022
The estuary system marks the transition between the Great Altar Desert in northwestern Mexico and the Gulf of California.
Published Nov 27, 2022
Much of the canned pumpkin that ends up in Thanksgiving pies and soups came from Central Illinois.
Published Nov 25, 2022
Massachusetts has a long-standing relationship with one of Thanksgiving’s iconic foods—the cranberry.
Published Nov 24, 2022
Almost one-third of American potatoes are grown in the Snake River Plain, a belt of low-lying land in the southern part of the state.
Published Nov 23, 2022
Plumes from this part of Alaska happen in autumn when winds are strong, water levels are low, and snow has not yet blanketed the floodplain.
Published Nov 22, 2022
Over millions of years, the mighty river carved through old sedimentary rocks even as the landmass was rising.
Published Nov 20, 2022
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.
Several new stadiums were built in and around Doha for the World Cup.
Published Nov 19, 2022
After an extremely wet October, storms in November 2022 have added to ongoing flooding across New South Wales and Victoria.
Published Nov 18, 2022
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
Sediment and dissolved organic matter carried by the Amur River contribute to the colorful waters visible in the strait.
Published Nov 18, 2022
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.
Hurricane Nicole turned the shallow waters along the Abaco Islands into an eddy factory.
Published Nov 17, 2022
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
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
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.
When fuels such as coal, wood, and oil burn incompletely, they produce carbon monoxide. The gas is spread by winds and circulation. These maps show monthly averages of CO in the lower atmosphere.
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
For the third time in a decade, the winner hails from the Canary Islands.
Published Mar 1, 2022
Summer is beach season in the northern hemisphere. But even if you're a regular at your local swimming hole, you probably haven't seen too many beaches from this perspective. See the satellite and space-station views of various shorelines from across the United States. No sunblock necessary.
Published Jul 22, 2021
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
Clouds can be a nuisance when scientists are trying to observe features on Earth's surface. But at other times, clouds are exactly what they want to see. These images highlight some of the more unusual and beautiful clouds observed in recent years from space.
Published Jun 21, 2021
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
These maps depict monthly total rainfall around the world. Rainfall is the primary source of fresh water for humans, plants, and animals. Rain also moves heat between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
Since 1999, Earth Observatory has published images and stories from all over our planet. Now you can explore more than 11,000 images in a different way: by location.
Published Jun 2, 2021
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.
