Wildland fires in 2023 brought hazy skies and poor air quality to several countries north of the equator.
Dry and windy conditions fueled the spread of unusually large fires in eastern Canada.
Short caption: Some of the planet’s most extreme tides are found in this French archipelago.
Published Jun 5, 2023
Dunes, ponds, and wildlife habitat are found alongside urban areas on this iconic peninsula in Massachusetts.
Published Jun 4, 2023
Sea ice crumbled rapidly in the waters of northern Canada as conditions changed in May.
Published Jun 3, 2023
The waters off the remote island of South Georgia splintered another Antarctic iceberg.
Published Jun 2, 2023
After strengthening rapidly and grazing the Philippines and Taiwan, the storm headed north toward the Sakishima Islands.
Published May 30, 2023Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Severe Storms Human Presence
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published May 30, 2023
Blooms of the plant-like organisms near coastal areas have become more frequent in the 21st century.
Published May 30, 2023
The shallow waters of hook-shaped Notsuke Peninsula shelter sea grass and shrimp in eastern Hokkaido.
Published May 29, 2023
Sunrise is an opportune time to photograph fog as it rolls through the mountain range.
Published May 28, 2023
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.
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.
Fieldwork in interior Alaska aimed to identify when evergreen trees resumed growth and started taking up carbon.
Published May 27, 2023
Fierce fires in Canada are the source of smoke that has swirled across much of the continent.
Published May 24, 2023
The category 4 storm was one of the strongest in decades to lash the U.S. territory of Guam.
Published May 24, 2023
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.
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
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
Rapid thawing in Alaska caused damaging river floods in May 2023.
Published May 23, 2023
Scientists traveled to Alaska to identify the start of evergreen trees' growing season—an important indicator of a forest’s productivity.
Published May 18, 2023
From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.
Published Feb 28, 2023
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.
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.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Over the years, astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory have snapped spectacular photographs of Earth’s snow and ice in both hemispheres.
Published Dec 21, 2022
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.
In honor of our site anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from 23 years online — one image for each day of the calendar year.
Published Apr 26, 2022
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
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
For the third time in a decade, the winner hails from the Canary Islands.
Published Mar 1, 2022
As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.
Published Oct 26, 2021
