Hurricane Milton Crosses Florida
Image of the Day Oct 11, 2024

Hurricane Milton Crosses Florida

Milton persisted as a potent hurricane-strength storm as it crossed over the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and into the western Atlantic.
Fuel for Hurricane Milton
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Fuel for Hurricane Milton

The storm rapidly intensified to Category 5 strength over warm gulf waters.

Published Oct 8, 2024

Image of the Day Severe Storms Remote Sensing

Three Storms Churn in an Active Atlantic
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Three Storms Churn in an Active Atlantic

The active 2024 hurricane season comes to a head with several simultaneous hurricanes—an unusual sight for October.

Published Oct 7, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms

Autumn in Northern Mongolia
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Autumn in Northern Mongolia

Larch-filled forests turned from green to gold around Lake Hövsgöl in September 2024.

Published Oct 7, 2024

Image of the Day Land

Sprites, Camera, Action!
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Sprites, Camera, Action!

An astronaut photographed the atmospheric phenomenon, associated with lightning, during a stormy night over North America.

Published Oct 6, 2024

Image of the Day Human Presence

Flash Floods Swamp North Carolina
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Flash Floods Swamp North Carolina

Torrential rains from Hurricane Helene swamped communities in the mountainous western part of the state.

Published Oct 4, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Life Water Severe Storms

Hurricane Helene Stirs Up Gulf Coast Waters
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Hurricane Helene Stirs Up Gulf Coast Waters

The heavy rains, high winds, and storm surge that devastated land also left a mark on the ocean.

Published Oct 3, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Severe Storms

Typhoon Krathon Nears Taiwan
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Typhoon Krathon Nears Taiwan

Once the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, the typhoon weakened and stalled off the island’s southwest coast.

Published Oct 2, 2024

Image of the Day Severe Storms Remote Sensing

Last Stop: Tundra and Peatland Fires in the Northwest Territories
Notes from the Field

Last Stop: Tundra and Peatland Fires in the Northwest Territories

Researchers concluded their 2024 field season in the Canadian territory, where they collected measurements to aid studies of high-latitude wildland fires.

Published Oct 2, 2024

Heat

Total Rainfall
Global Maps Jun 2000 — May 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

Aerosol Optical Depth
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Apr 2024

Aerosol Optical Depth

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.

Atmosphere

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Apr 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

Dark Nights in Georgia
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Dark Nights in Georgia

The state faced widespread power outages after winds from Hurricane Helene snapped trees, tore off roofs, and toppled power lines.

Published Oct 1, 2024

Image of the Day Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing

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

Devastating Rainfall from Hurricane Helene
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Devastating Rainfall from Hurricane Helene

The major storm brought heavy precipitation and destructive flooding to coastal Florida and southeastern states.

Published Sep 30, 2024

Image of the Day Water Severe Storms Remote Sensing

Bends of the Alabama River
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Bends of the Alabama River

Reflected sunlight highlights the water’s surface and flooded zones near Gee’s Bend.

Published Sep 30, 2024

Image of the Day Land Life Water

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

Ocean Heat for Hurricane Helene
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Ocean Heat for Hurricane Helene

Warm water from the Loop Current helped fuel Helene as the storm approached Florida’s Big Bend region.

Published Sep 26, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms

An Uncommonly Strong Atmospheric River
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An Uncommonly Strong Atmospheric River

The storm, which drenched coastal British Columbia and southeastern Alaska, may be among the region’s most intense in the past couple of decades.

Published Sep 26, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms

Twenty-one Hours a Day on a 30-Foot Floating Science Lab
Notes from the Field

Twenty-one Hours a Day on a 30-Foot Floating Science Lab

Off the coast of southern California, a research team sails for science on the Research Vessel Blissfully.

Published Sep 24, 2024

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Apr 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

Day-in-the-Life of a PACE-PAX Mission Flight
Notes from the Field

Day-in-the-Life of a PACE-PAX Mission Flight

Airborne observations will help scientists validate measurements from NASA's PACE satellite.

Published Sep 18, 2024

September Puzzler
Earth Matters

September Puzzler

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

Published Sep 17, 2024

Sailing Away for PACE
Notes from the Field

Sailing Away for PACE

Scientists at sea are making measurements to validate the observations from NASA's new ocean-observing satellite.

Published Sep 13, 2024

Snow Cover
Global Maps Mar 2000 — May 2024

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

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

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
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Apr 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

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

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

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

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

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