An Asteroid’s Bite in an Australian Mountain Range

The asteroid that smashed into northern Australia and caused the Amelia Creek impact structure transformed mountain ridges in the blast zone.

Image of the Day Land

Farming on the Straight, Curved, and Narrow

Repeated land divisions over centuries have created a complex mosaic of ribbon-like fields in southern Poland.

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Dusty Inferno Hits Oklahoma

A major weather system spawned wind-fueled fires and dust storms in the state before moving east.

Image of the Day Land Dust and Haze Human Presence

Baja California’s Arid Delta

A salt-encrusted landscape surrounds the Colorado River where it once emptied into the Gulf of California.

Image of the Day Land

Swirling Skies and Melting Icebergs

The remote South Sandwich Islands can disrupt passing clouds in ways that shed alternating rows of cloud spirals. 

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Bahía Blanca Inundated

Torrential rains set off dangerous flash flooding in the Argentinian port city.

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes

Nyamulagira Brings the Heat

Clouds parted to reveal fresh lava flows on the slopes of the East African Rift volcano.

Image of the Day Volcanoes Remote Sensing

A Small Blue-Gray Marble

A digital camera on the Blue Ghost lander looked back at Earth and captured this ethereal image.

Image of the Day Atmosphere

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

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.

Remote Sensing

March Puzzler

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

World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

Spotting Disruptions to Earth’s Vegetation

Using NASA data, researchers can track vegetation changes around the planet, not just in forests but also in grasslands and savannas like the Brazilian Cerrado.

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

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

What Was Behind Idalia’s Rapid Intensification?

A new analysis suggests that a large freshwater plume in the hurricane’s path helped fuel its extraordinary growth.

Image of the Day Heat Water

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.

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Alfred’s Strange and Destructive Journey

The tropical cyclone took a sharp turn toward Australia’s east coast, bringing flooding and other hazards to an area that rarely sees this type of storm.

Image of the Day Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes

Adventures and Preparing To Be On the Land

"Leaf-to-orbit" activities began as the campers arrived in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

A Colorful Scientific Homecoming

After 31 years, scientist Joaquin Chaves returned to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for another international expedition.

Water

Preparing for an On-The-Land Camp

A new camp in Canada’s Northwest Territories would allow youth to view wetland environments from a ‘leaf-to-orbit’ perspective.

February Puzzler

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

Day 12: A Whirlwind Journey

AVUELO's many moving parts has made time fly by by for the campaign’s project scientist.

Waiting for Better Weather

What does AVUELO have in common with a Joni Mitchell song? The answer lies in the clouds.

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly

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.

Heat Water

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

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

Atmosphere

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.

Land Human Presence

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.

Atmosphere Human Presence

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

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

Temperature Extremes 2024

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

Heat

Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

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.

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

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.

Land Life

Temperature Extremes 2023

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

Heat