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NASA has a unique vantage point for observing the beauty and wonder of Earth and for making sense of it. The images in this book tell a story of a 4.5-billion-year-old planet where there is always something new to see.
The wildfire has burned more than 50,000 acres, making it the state’s largest blaze in 2019.
Fires burning in peat deposits in Indonesia release gases and particles that have consequences for public health and the climate.
Published Sep 17, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Dust and Haze Fires Human Presence Remote Sensing
Take a breath of fresh air. Learn how the air we breathe has become cleaner in the latest issue of EO Kids, Cleaning Up Our Air
Published Sep 17, 2019 in EO Kids
Scientists make final preparations for field work aboard an icebreaker, which will be locked in the Arctic sea ice for one year.
Published Sep 17, 2019 in Notes From the Field
Get a close-up look at enormous wind turbines along this short segment of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Published Sep 13, 2019
Several years of dry conditions have set the stage for a fierce fire season in several southeastern states.
Published Sep 13, 2019
An important player in the nitrogen cycle, Trichodesmium makes a seasonal appearance off the northeast coast of Australia.
Published Sep 13, 2019
Low Sun angles enhance certain wavelengths of light, painting the atmosphere over a distant patch of ocean.
Published Sep 12, 2019
The warm surface water this summer was caused by an unusual and persistent weather pattern.
Published Sep 12, 2019
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.
After a wet August, floodwaters inundated villages, pastures, and croplands.
Published Sep 11, 2019
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 Oct 5, 2000
The storm left a path of destruction from the Caribbean to the Canadian Maritimes.
Published Sep 9, 2019
These African plains host the largest natural animal migration in the world.
Published Sep 6, 2019
Typhoon Lingling is the thirteenth tropical cyclone in the North Pacific this year.
Published Sep 6, 2019
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Fishing is an integral part of the economy for this region, which also attracts whales and tourists.
Published Sep 6, 2019
More than 30 years of ice velocity data are helping scientists tease out how mountain glaciers respond to climate change.
Published Sep 6, 2019
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.
Power outages piled up in Charleston County as the storm raged just offshore.
Published Sep 5, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
Daily weather briefings give rhythm to otherwise irregular days filled with launch attempts and instrument tests.
Published Sep 5, 2019 in Notes From the Field
In early September 2019, a loose chain of tropical cyclones lined up across the Western Hemisphere.
Published Sep 4, 2019
A remarkable slowdown led to a prolonged lashing from winds, waves, and rain that devastated Grand Bahama Island.
Published Sep 4, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
After slamming the Bahamas, the storm will approach Florida first in the coming days.
Published Sep 3, 2019
The powerful hurricane is believed to be the strongest on record to hit the northwestern Bahamas.
Published Sep 1, 2019
Heading into Labor Day weekend, citizens and government officials braced for a potent hurricane that has been intensifying in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Published Aug 30, 2019
The tallest mountain of the Cascade Range is a Pacific Northwest icon.
Published Aug 30, 2019
A recent study shows that the state has experienced a fivefold increase in annual burned area since 1972.
Published Aug 30, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Human Presence Remote Sensing
The Chicago neighborhood was the epicenter of a railroad strike that played a key role in the establishment of Labor Day as a federal holiday.
Published Aug 30, 2019
Although not the highest or longest falls in the world, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water.
Published Aug 29, 2019
After brushing past Puerto Rico, the storm began intensifying over open waters.
Published Aug 29, 2019Atmosphere Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
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
Fire season peaks every August in some parts of southern Africa.
Published Aug 29, 2019
One branch of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier seems to have retreated as far as it can, while the other still has some distance to go.
Published Aug 28, 2019
A data shortage in the large swaths of larch forests in Northeast Siberia is a prime reason why we wanted to come here.
Published Aug 27, 2019 in Notes From the Field
These maps show the ‘metabolism” of Earth’s plants and trees. Net primary productivity is the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis minus the amount released by respiration.
In addition to making rain and snow, clouds can have a warming or cooling influence depending on their altitude, type, and when they form. These maps show what fraction of an area was cloudy each month.
The BOBCAT mission is testing a cool, new type of cryogenic liquid containment system for balloon-borne telescopes.
Published Aug 23, 2019 in Notes From the Field
There is no award for completing the hike from Mexico to Canada through the western United States. But it is clear from the ground and space that the journey through 48 wilderness areas and demanding terrain will change you.
Published Aug 1, 2019
In honor of our 20th anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from the past 20 years — one for each day of the calendar year.
Published Jun 19, 2019
Swirling white clouds, deep blue oceans, and multicolored landscapes come to life on the pages of NASA’s new photo essay Earth, a collection of dramatic images captured by satellites.
Published Jun 4, 2019
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.
Our world is constantly changing. We have evolved with it.
Published May 7, 2019
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
Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. This timeline highlights the most notable calving events of the past two decades.
Published Apr 9, 2019
