Winter Blast of Dust in the Middle East
Image of the Day Dec 22, 2024

Winter Blast of Dust in the Middle East

Dust clouded the sky in the Tigris–Euphrates basin in December 2024, degrading air quality and snarling travel in the region.
Towering Cloud Over The Arabian Peninsula
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Towering Cloud Over The Arabian Peninsula

An astronaut photographed the structure of a burgeoning cumulus congestus near the shore of the Persian Gulf.

Published Dec 21, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Antarctic Iceberg Spins Out
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Antarctic Iceberg Spins Out

After being stuck for a second time in nearly four decades, the planet’s current-largest iceberg (A-23A) again floats free.

Published Dec 20, 2024

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Franklin Fire Leaves Its Mark on Malibu
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Franklin Fire Leaves Its Mark on Malibu

The December 2024 blaze charred vegetation in the hills of the Southern California coastline.

Published Dec 18, 2024

Image of the Day Land Fires

Wintry Weather Whooshes In
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Wintry Weather Whooshes In

Arctic air surged across the Great Lakes and dumped feet of lake-effect snow in some locations.

Published Dec 17, 2024

Image of the Day Severe Storms Snow and Ice Temperature Extremes

December Puzzler
Earth Matters

December Puzzler

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

Published Dec 17, 2024

Cyclone Chido Pummels Mayotte
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Cyclone Chido Pummels Mayotte

Fueled by warm water in the Indian Ocean, the tropical cyclone caused widespread damage on the small archipelago.

Published Dec 16, 2024

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms

The Many Arms of Réservoir Gouin
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The Many Arms of Réservoir Gouin

A dam on the Saint-Maurice River transformed the network of lakes and river valleys upstream.

Published Dec 16, 2024

Image of the Day Land Water

Desert Peninsula in Turkmenistan
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Desert Peninsula in Turkmenistan

The Cheleken Peninsula and its two parallel spits comprise the hammerhead-like landform that juts into the eastern Caspian Sea.

Published Dec 15, 2024

Image of the Day Land

Hints of Color in Japan’s Kii Mountains
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Hints of Color in Japan’s Kii Mountains

The onset of autumn reds and yellows was delayed across the country following several unusually warm months.

Published Dec 14, 2024

Image of the Day Land

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Nov 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

Chlorophyll
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Nov 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

Sucia in Summer
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Sucia in Summer

Accessible to the intrepid boater, Washington state’s northern San Juan Islands include a marine state park with abundant natural beauty and geologic wonders.

Published Dec 13, 2024

Image of the Day Land Water

Aerosol Size
Global Maps Jan 2005 — Sep 2016

Aerosol Size

Sea salt, volcanic ash, dust, wildfire smoke, and industrial pollution are types of airborne aerosols. Natural aerosols tend to be larger than human-made aerosols. These maps show when and where aerosols come from nature, humans, or both.

Atmosphere

The Fast Fire Threat
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The Fast Fire Threat

Two decades of satellite data show that the most destructive U.S. fires burn in grasslands and shrublands fanned by strong winds.

Published Dec 12, 2024

Image of the Day Land

Scotland’s Outer Hebrides
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Scotland’s Outer Hebrides

The rugged chain of islands is home to thousands of sheep and known for its white sand beaches.

Published Dec 11, 2024

Image of the Day Land Life

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Sep 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

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

Lake Mungo’s Geological and Archaeological Treasures
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Lake Mungo’s Geological and Archaeological Treasures

A lunette dune fringing this dried Australian lake preserves relics from ancient times, while today’s grazing patterns create sharp visible contrasts on the land.

Published Dec 10, 2024

Image of the Day 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

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

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

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

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

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

Fire
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Nov 2024

Fire

Whether started by humans (farming, logging, or accidents) or by nature (lightning), fires are always burning somewhere on Earth. These maps show the locations of fires burning around the world each month.

Land

Carbon Monoxide
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Nov 2023

Carbon Monoxide

When fuels such as coal, wood, and oil burn incompletely, they produce carbon monoxide. The gas is spread by winds and circulation. These maps show monthly averages of CO in the lower atmosphere.

Atmosphere

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