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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.
The wildfire has burned more than 50,000 acres, making it the state’s largest blaze in 2019.
The storm left a path of destruction from the Caribbean to the Canadian Maritimes.
Published Sep 9, 2019
These African plains host the largest natural animal migration in the world.
Published Sep 6, 2019
Typhoon Lingling is the thirteenth tropical cyclone in the North Pacific this year.
Published Sep 6, 2019
Fishing is an integral part of the economy for this region, which also attracts whales and tourists.
Published Sep 6, 2019
More than 30 years of ice velocity data are helping scientists tease out how mountain glaciers respond to climate change.
Published Sep 6, 2019
These maps show the ‘metabolism” of Earth’s plants and trees. Net primary productivity is the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis minus the amount released by respiration.
Power outages piled up in Charleston County as the storm raged just offshore.
Published Sep 5, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
Daily weather briefings give rhythm to otherwise irregular days filled with launch attempts and instrument tests.
Published Sep 5, 2019 in Notes From the Field
In early September 2019, a loose chain of tropical cyclones lined up across the Western Hemisphere.
Published Sep 4, 2019
A remarkable slowdown led to a prolonged lashing from winds, waves, and rain that devastated Grand Bahama Island.
Published Sep 4, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
After slamming the Bahamas, the storm will approach Florida first in the coming days.
Published Sep 3, 2019
The powerful hurricane is believed to be the strongest on record to hit the northwestern Bahamas.
Published Sep 1, 2019
Heading into Labor Day weekend, citizens and government officials braced for a potent hurricane that has been intensifying in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Published Aug 30, 2019
The tallest mountain of the Cascade Range is a Pacific Northwest icon.
Published Aug 30, 2019
A recent study shows that the state has experienced a fivefold increase in annual burned area since 1972.
Published Aug 30, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Human Presence Remote Sensing
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.
The Chicago neighborhood was the epicenter of a railroad strike that played a key role in the establishment of Labor Day as a federal holiday.
Published Aug 30, 2019
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.
Although not the highest or longest falls in the world, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water.
Published Aug 29, 2019
After brushing past Puerto Rico, the storm began intensifying over open waters.
Published Aug 29, 2019Atmosphere Water Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
Fire season peaks every August in some parts of southern Africa.
Published Aug 29, 2019
One branch of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier seems to have retreated as far as it can, while the other still has some distance to go.
Published Aug 28, 2019
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
Since the beginning of August 2019, NASA satellites have observed fires burning near the border of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil.
Published Aug 27, 2019
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
A data shortage in the large swaths of larch forests in Northeast Siberia is a prime reason why we wanted to come here.
Published Aug 27, 2019 in Notes From the Field
Vast tracts of the prairie turn yellow in the summer when this oil-rich crop blooms.
Published Aug 26, 2019
Satellites have detected an increase in fire activity early in the 2019 dry season in the southern Amazon.
Published Aug 23, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Fires Human Presence Remote Sensing
Sample some of the most notable locations along the long-distance trail.
Published Aug 23, 2019
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 Oct 5, 2000
The BOBCAT mission is testing a cool, new type of cryogenic liquid containment system for balloon-borne telescopes.
Published Aug 23, 2019 in Notes From the Field
There were few Indian rulers as passionate about architecture as Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur.
Published Aug 23, 2019
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.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
The complex patterns are due to waves, winds, the presence of oils or surfactants, and the presence of boats and drilling platforms.
Published Aug 23, 2019
Volcanoes have a lot of dramatic ways to announce their presence. One of the more subtle and rarely observed displays is the pumice raft.
Published Aug 22, 2019
Your challenge is to tell us what we are looking at and why it is interesting.
Published Aug 19, 2019 in Earth Matters
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.
The high severity of the burn scar north of Yakutsk may be out of the ordinary, and attracted the interest of the science team.
Published Aug 17, 2019 in Notes From the Field
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.
The science team gears up for a balloon launch from Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Published Aug 16, 2019 in Notes From the Field
There is no award for completing the hike from Mexico to Canada through the western United States. But it is clear from the ground and space that the journey through 48 wilderness areas and demanding terrain will change you.
Published Aug 1, 2019
In honor of our 20th anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from the past 20 years — one for each day of the calendar year.
Published Jun 19, 2019
Swirling white clouds, deep blue oceans, and multicolored landscapes come to life on the pages of NASA’s new photo essay Earth, a collection of dramatic images captured by satellites.
Published Jun 4, 2019
Our world is constantly changing. We have evolved with it.
Published May 7, 2019
Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. This timeline highlights the most notable calving events of the past two decades.
Published Apr 9, 2019
