Phytoplankton fuel ocean life by feeding other plankton, fish, and ultimately bigger creatures.
Chaparral shrublands and strong winds are fueling the fast-moving fire.
Spencer Gulf in South Australia hosts the world’s largest cuttlefish mass spawning event.
Published Oct 16, 2021
The pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and markets in ways that have led to backlogs of cargo ships at key ports.
Published Oct 15, 2021
The 25th cycle is underway, and it brings more frequent opportunities to see the northern lights and southern lights.
Published Oct 14, 2021
Scientists reveal details of a rare type of lightning that stretches into space.
Published Oct 12, 2021
The oldest city in North America’s Great Lakes region is surrounded by areas of stunning seasonal color.
Published Oct 11, 2021
Explore how snowmelt becomes water and do a cool experiment to find out how much water snow leaves behind when it melts.
Published Oct 10, 2021
Cumbre Vieja volcano is making its presence felt from above and below.
Published Oct 9, 2021Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Volcanoes Human Presence Remote Sensing
The southern coasts of this Chinese island are lined with tropical beaches, while the inner bays are lined with floating fishing villages.
Published Oct 9, 2021
Fires burned 8.4 million hectares in the eastern Russian republic.
Published Oct 8, 2021
Satellite imagers can make oil spills easier to detect in open water.
Published Oct 7, 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.
Accumulating fuels and rising populations are contributing to California’s large, destructive fires.
Published Oct 5, 2021
As the Cumbre Vieja eruption continued into its second week, satellites captured images of some remarkable moments in the skies above the volcano.
Published Oct 5, 2021
Following caribou and brown bear trails when possible, a small NASA-supported research team trekked 800 miles across Alaska’s Brooks Range in summer 2021.
Published Oct 5, 2021
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
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
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
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.
Heat waves and droughts supercharged by climate change, a century of fire suppression, and fast-growing populations have made large, destructive fires more likely.
Published Oct 4, 2021
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.
One of the CubeSats launching with Landsat 9 is the Cusp Plasma Imaging Detector (CuPID), which will image the boundary where Earth’s magnetic field interacts with the Sun’s.
Published Sep 24, 2021
Landsat satellites have enabled numerous applications in diverse fields, including the monitoring of global agriculture and food security applications.
Published Sep 23, 2021
50 Years. 9 million scenes. One champion.
Published Sep 7, 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
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
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
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.
Published Jun 2, 2021
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.
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
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.
For 20 years, astronauts have been shooting photos of Earth from the space station. Like everything the astronauts do, they are trained for this job. And like everything they do, there is purpose and intention behind it.
Published Feb 8, 2021
