Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum
Image of the Day Nov 17, 2025

Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum

Sea ice around the southernmost continent hit one of its lowest seasonal highs since the start of the satellite record.
Puerto Rico From Above
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Puerto Rico From Above

An astronaut photographed the island’s striking mix of mountains, forests, and expanding urban areas.

Published Nov 14, 2025

Image of the Day Land

A Desert Intersection
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A Desert Intersection

A colorful ridge and winding glacial meltwater river meet amidst dune fields in western China.

Published Oct 1, 2025

Image of the Day Land

The Erie Canal Turns 200
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The Erie Canal Turns 200

The colossal project created a valuable connection between the U.S. interior and the Atlantic Ocean when it opened in October 1825.

Published Sep 29, 2025

Image of the Day Water Human Presence

Winter Transforms the Mississippi River Delta
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Winter Transforms the Mississippi River Delta

A Gulf Coast storm followed by snowmelt in January 2025 temporarily increased the Mississippi River’s outflow, sending a surge of sediment through the delta and into gulf waters.

Published Sep 28, 2025

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Drought Worsens Across Northern New England
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Drought Worsens Across Northern New England

In late September 2025, a continued lack of rainfall led to stunted vegetation, lowered water levels, and prompted early fall foliage.

Published Sep 26, 2025

Image of the Day Heat Remote Sensing Temperature Extremes

Land of Many Waters and Much Sediment
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Land of Many Waters and Much Sediment

The Guiana Shield’s rugged terrain shapes Guyana’s waterways, but mining has altered their clarity.

Published Sep 26, 2025

Image of the Day Water

A Giant Iceberg’s Final Drift
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A Giant Iceberg’s Final Drift

After a long, turbulent journey, Antarctic Iceberg A-23A is signaling its demise as it floats in the South Atlantic.

Published Sep 25, 2025

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Ragasa Steers Toward China
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Ragasa Steers Toward China

The super typhoon headed for Guangdong province after lashing Taiwan and northern Luzon in the Philippines.

Published Sep 23, 2025

Image of the Day Severe Storms Remote Sensing

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 Golden Moment for Boreal Forests
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A Golden Moment for Boreal Forests

Hillsides in Alaska’s interior showed their changing colors ahead of the autumnal equinox.

Published Sep 23, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — May 2025

Land Surface Temperature

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.

Heat Land

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

Reshaping the Forests Around Kisangani
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Reshaping the Forests Around Kisangani

Satellite data show decades of gradual but persistent change to forests around one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest cities.

Published Sep 22, 2025

Image of the Day Human Presence

Total Rainfall
Global Maps Jan 1998 — Jul 2025

Total Rainfall

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.

Atmosphere

Chlorophyll
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Jul 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

Carbon Monoxide
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Oct 2024

Carbon Monoxide

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.

Atmosphere

Water Vapor
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Jul 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

Mozambique’s Rio Lúrio
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Mozambique’s Rio Lúrio

Sediment from the riverbed, especially during periods of higher flow, helps shape the surrounding beaches and sandbars.

Published Sep 21, 2025

Image of the Day Land

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

Renewable and Alternative Energy
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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

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

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

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Jun 2025

Sea Surface Temperature

Ocean temperatures can influence weather, such as hurricane formation, and climate patterns, such as El Niño. These maps show the temperature at the surface of the world’s seas and oceans.

Heat Water

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

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

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