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.
Torrential rain in southern British Columbia and western Washington spurred deadly floods and mudslides that have damaged infrastructure and isolated communities.
Image of the Day Water Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing Landslides
Starved of its sediment supply, the Ebro Delta faces erosion and subsidence, along with rising seas and more frequent and intense storms.
Published Dec 6, 2021
The reservoir provides water for Napa wine country and for cities in Northern California.
Published Dec 5, 2021
The nearly 1,000-meter-tall volcano in the South Sandwich Islands frequently finds a way to put on a show.
Published Dec 4, 2021
Researchers used satellite data to detect and track masses of plastic floating in the ocean.
Published Dec 3, 2021
A long-awaited system of movable floodgates is starting to protect the city from the highest tides.
Published Dec 2, 2021
Strong tides create laminar and turbulent flow patterns in waters off far eastern Russia.
Published Dec 1, 2021
Momijiari can last into early December in the country’s southern regions.
Published Nov 30, 2021
Greenland’s glaciers grind rock into a fine powder that discolors meltwater and often makes beautiful patterns as it mixes with seawater.
Published Nov 29, 2021
The Inland Delta of the Niger River is one of the world’s most productive wetlands.
Published Nov 28, 2021
Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing are symmetrical, cone-shaped peaks in Central Java.
Published Nov 27, 2021
The oldest desert on Earth also gives rise to some of the planet’s tallest dunes.
Published Nov 26, 2021
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
Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Plymouth, England, share a historical connection even older than the first Thanksgiving.
Published Nov 25, 2021
The hot springs at Pamukkale, Turkey, have produced the world’s largest deposit of travertine.
Published Nov 24, 2021
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
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
Your challenge is to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Nov 16, 2021
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.
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
As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color the Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.
Published Oct 26, 2021
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
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.
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.
50 Years. 9 million scenes. One champion.
Published Sep 7, 2021
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Published Apr 28, 2021
