Images bridging four decades show where Switzerland’s largest glacier and its neighbors have been losing ice.
Several wildland fires burned amid dry and windy conditions in the country’s southeast.
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
Buoyant photovoltaic systems, also called floatovoltaics, have been deployed across a reservoir in central India.
Published Mar 22, 2025
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
As winter turned to spring, ice cover on the lake diminished to reveal colorful billows of sediment and phytoplankton.
Published Mar 20, 2025
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
Repeated land divisions over centuries have created a complex mosaic of ribbon-like fields in southern Poland.
Published Mar 19, 2025
A major weather system spawned wind-fueled fires and dust storms in the state before moving east.
Published Mar 17, 2025
A salt-encrusted landscape surrounds the Colorado River where it once emptied into the Gulf of California.
Published Mar 16, 2025
The remote South Sandwich Islands can disrupt passing clouds in ways that shed alternating rows of cloud spirals.
Published Mar 15, 2025
Torrential rains set off dangerous flash flooding in the Argentinian port city.
Published Mar 14, 2025Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes
Clouds parted to reveal fresh lava flows on the slopes of the East African Rift volcano.
Published Mar 12, 2025
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.
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Mar 11, 2025
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.
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.
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
"Leaf-to-orbit" activities began as the campers arrived in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
Published Mar 4, 2025
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
After 31 years, scientist Joaquin Chaves returned to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for another international expedition.
Published Feb 27, 2025
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.
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
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
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.
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Feb 25, 2025
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 2024
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.
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
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
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
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
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Mar 26, 2024
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
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
