Smoke Smothers the Northeast
Image of the Day Jun 8, 2023

Smoke Smothers the Northeast

Fires in Quebec have delivered one of the most intense outbreaks of smoke seen in the eastern U.S. in decades.
California Reservoir Rebound
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California Reservoir Rebound

Shasta Lake refilled in spring 2023 after a season of heavy rain and snowmelt.

Published Jun 7, 2023

Image of the Day Water

Ebb and Flow in the Chausey Islands
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Ebb and Flow in the Chausey Islands

Some of the planet’s most extreme tides are found in this French archipelago.

Published Jun 5, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water

Hooked on Cape Cod
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Hooked on Cape Cod

Dunes, ponds, and wildlife habitat are found alongside urban areas on this iconic peninsula in Massachusetts.

Published Jun 4, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Splintering Sea Ice in the Amundsen Gulf
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Splintering Sea Ice in the Amundsen Gulf

Sea ice crumbled rapidly in the waters of northern Canada as conditions changed in May.

Published Jun 3, 2023

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Shrinking Iceberg A-76A
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Shrinking Iceberg A-76A

The waters off the remote island of South Georgia splintered another Antarctic iceberg.

Published Jun 2, 2023

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Raging Fires in Nova Scotia
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Raging Fires in Nova Scotia

Dry and windy conditions fueled the spread of unusually large fires in eastern Canada.

Published May 31, 2023

Image of the Day Heat Land Fires Human Presence

Mawar Churns in the Pacific
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Mawar Churns in the Pacific

After strengthening rapidly and grazing the Philippines and Taiwan, the storm headed north toward the Sakishima Islands.

Published May 30, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Severe Storms Human Presence

May Puzzler
Earth Matters

May Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published May 30, 2023

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

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

Coastal Phytoplankton on the Rise
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Coastal Phytoplankton on the Rise

Blooms of the plant-like organisms near coastal areas have become more frequent in the 21st century.

Published May 30, 2023

Image of the Day Water Remote Sensing

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

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Apr 2023

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly

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.

Heat Land

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Mar 2023

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

A Sandy Haven in Japan
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A Sandy Haven in Japan

The shallow waters of hook-shaped Notsuke Peninsula shelter sea grass and shrimp in eastern Hokkaido.

Published May 29, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Snow Cover
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Jan 2023

Snow Cover

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.

Snow and Ice

A Foggy Himalayan Morning
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A Foggy Himalayan Morning

Sunrise is an opportune time to photograph fog as it rolls through the mountain range.

Published May 28, 2023

Image of the Day Land Snow and Ice

A Boreal Forest Awakens
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A Boreal Forest Awakens

Fieldwork in interior Alaska aimed to identify when evergreen trees resumed growth and started taking up carbon.

Published May 27, 2023

Image of the Day Life Snow and Ice Remote Sensing

A Smoky May for North America
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A Smoky May for North America

Fierce fires in Canada are the source of smoke that has swirled across much of the continent.

Published May 24, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires

Illuminating a Boreal Forest's Spring Wake-Up
Notes from the Field

Illuminating a Boreal Forest's Spring Wake-Up

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

Land

Food and Agriculture
Article

Food and Agriculture

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

Land

Winter from the International Space Station
Article

Winter from the International Space Station

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

Snow and Ice

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

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Jun 2002 — Sep 2011

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly

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.

Heat Water

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Apr 2023

Cloud Fraction

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.

Atmosphere

EO On This Day
Article

EO On This Day

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

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Water Snow and Ice

Tournament Earth: Elemental Edition—Finals
Article

Tournament Earth: Elemental Edition—Finals

For the third time in a decade, the winner hails from the Canary Islands.

Published Mar 1, 2022

Human Presence Remote Sensing

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Apr 2023

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

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

Fall Colors Around the Planet
Article

Fall Colors Around the Planet

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

Land Life