From their perch on the space station, astronauts have spent 20 years sharing a story about Earth as they see it from above. Like the directors of a film, those astronaut storytellers have a crew working behind the scenes to help them tell the story. Meet the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit.
Areas of clear sky revealed a blanket of white across Mid-Atlantic states, while harder-hit areas remained obscured by clouds.
A founder of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory made a key mathematical insight about swirling, asymmetrical flow patterns.
Published Jan 5, 2021
While there are efforts to reinforce its beaches and marshes, some of Barataria Bay is slowly slipping away.
Published Jan 4, 2021
Cold temperatures through December sustain areas of snow and ice across Central Asia’s inland lake.
Published Jan 3, 2021
At least 200 of the island’s coastal glaciers have retreated over the past 20 years.
Published Jan 2, 2021Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
Astronauts will continue to photograph their home whether from low-Earth orbit or, as the Apollo astronauts once did, from the Moon.
Published Jan 1, 2021
The islands of the Juan Fernández Archipelago rival the Galápagos in their abundance of endemic plants.
Published Dec 31, 2020
Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Dec 30, 2020 in Earth Matters
The world’s largest landlocked body of water stretches across several types of landscapes.
Published Dec 30, 2020
According to legend, the Mother Dragon and her children landed at Hạ Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay to protect Vietnam.
Published Dec 28, 2020
This portion of the Tunisian coast is a sheltering harbor for fish, shorebirds, and Mars-like life.
Published Dec 27, 2020
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
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.
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
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.
A popular place for sandboarding, Huacachina is the only natural desert oasis in South America.
Published Dec 26, 2020
The mountainous icy terrain was a challenging but necessary refuge for the crew of HMS Endurance.
Published Dec 25, 2020
The swerving path of Antarctic iceberg A-68A is dictated by a large and powerful current.
Published Dec 24, 2020
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
California’s Central Valley is fertile territory for fog formation in winter.
Published Dec 23, 2020
These maps depict anomalies in land surface temperatures (LSTs); that is, how much hotter or cooler a region was compared to the long-term average. LST anomalies can indicate heat waves or cold spells.
Launch of the Mekong Air Quality Explorer tool demonstrates how NASA’s science, research, and data are being applied around the world to address real-life problems.
Published Dec 16, 2020 in Notes From the Field
From their home on the International Space Station, astronauts have a view unlike anything most of us will ever see. Over 20 years, they have shot millions of photographs of Earth, and it is not just a hobby. It is an important scientific job, and one they need to be trained to do. Learn more about the challenges of watching Earth from above.
Published Nov 2, 2020
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.
For 20 years, astronauts have been shooting photos of Earth from the space station. Like everything the astronauts do, they are trained for this job. And like everything they do, there is purpose and intention behind it.
Published Oct 20, 2020
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.
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
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.
A race is on to figure out whether COVID-19 will wax and wane with the seasons. Atmospheric and hydrologic models produced by NASA and other institutions may be key to that research.
Published Jul 14, 2020
A few decades ago, the idea of predicting a disease outbreak via satellite was science fiction. But today, researchers can use environmental data to predict when and where some diseases are likely to spread.
Published Jul 9, 2020
NASA satellites and sensors constantly take the pulse of our planet. Researchers apply those observations on local and regional scales to better manage things like food and water supplies, health, safety, land use, and ecosystems.
Published May 1, 2020
