Blankets of White in the West
Image of the Day Nov 13, 2024

Blankets of White in the West

November snows piled up on the plains and peaks of Colorado and New Mexico.
Sizing Up a Greenland Tsunami
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Sizing Up a Greenland Tsunami

Satellite data show the shape of a wave as water sloshed around Dickson Fjord after a rockslide triggered a tsunami in September 2023.

Published Nov 12, 2024

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

The Glade of the Armistice
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The Glade of the Armistice

Veterans Day falls on November 11 because of a World War I armistice signed in the Forest of Compiègne in France in 1918.  

Published Nov 11, 2024

Image of the Day Human Presence

Sandy Sculptures in Morocco’s Erg Chebbi
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Sandy Sculptures in Morocco’s Erg Chebbi

Windswept sand formations known as star dunes, or pyramid dunes, are a distinctive feature of the Sahara Desert in northern Africa.

Published Nov 10, 2024

Image of the Day Heat Land

Hurricane Rafael Crosses Cuba
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Hurricane Rafael Crosses Cuba

The latest major storm in 2024’s active hurricane season brought heavy rain and storm surge to Cuba as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico.

Published Nov 7, 2024

Image of the Day Severe Storms Remote Sensing

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Spews Ash
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Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Spews Ash

Eruptions in November 2024 sent volcanic material over the Indonesian island of Flores.

Published Nov 6, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Volcanoes Human Presence

A Week of Rain Across Spain
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A Week of Rain Across Spain

Recurring storms produced destructive flooding in the country’s southwest and along its eastern coast.

Published Nov 5, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Floods

Smoky Skies Over the Indo-Gangetic Plain
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Smoky Skies Over the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Annual fires contributed to hazy skies over northern Pakistan and India, causing schools in some areas to close.

Published Nov 4, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires

Crepuscular Rays and Cumulonimbus Clouds
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Crepuscular Rays and Cumulonimbus Clouds

Photographed from orbit at sunset, the rays of light penetrating gaps in the clouds span vast distances.

Published Nov 3, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Drought Expands Across the U.S.
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Drought Expands Across the U.S.

Dry conditions parched all but two states in October 2024 and worsened as the month progressed.

Published Nov 1, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Water Drought

Chlorophyll
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Sep 2024

Chlorophyll

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.

Life Water

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Sep 2024

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

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Sep 2024

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

Validating PACE and Inspiring Future Scientists
Notes from the Field

Validating PACE and Inspiring Future Scientists

Scientists “fueled the love for science” among students during a field campaign for NASA’s plankton and aerosol observing satellite.

Published Oct 31, 2024

Valencia Floods
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Valencia Floods

Torrential rains caused deadly flooding and extensive damage in eastern Spain.

Published Oct 31, 2024

Image of the Day Water Floods Human Presence

Ozone Hole Continues Healing in 2024
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Ozone Hole Continues Healing in 2024

The area of depleted ozone over the Antarctic ranked the seventh smallest since recovery began in 1992.

Published Oct 31, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere

October Puzzler
Earth Matters

October Puzzler

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

Published Oct 22, 2024

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Sep 2024

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

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.

Published Jul 1, 2024

Atmosphere

Renewable and Alternative Energy
Article

Renewable and Alternative Energy

People have developed systems to harvest and store energy from sources such as wind, sunlight, and tidal action. Many of these installations are visible from orbit.

Published May 10, 2024

Land Human Presence

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

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

Air Quality
Article

Air Quality

From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.

Published Apr 8, 2024

Atmosphere Human Presence

Temperature Extremes 2024
Article

Temperature Extremes 2024

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Mar 26, 2024

Heat

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere
Article

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere

Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some areas as the world warms.

Published Feb 27, 2024

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

Total Rainfall
Global Maps Jun 2000 — Aug 2024

Total Rainfall

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.

Atmosphere

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Aug 2024

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

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

Temperature Extremes 2023
Article

Temperature Extremes 2023

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Aug 15, 2023

Heat

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

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