Ephemeral Arc Spans Greenland Fjord
Image of the Day Sep 26, 2023

Ephemeral Arc Spans Greenland Fjord

Scientists have some ideas about what might have caused a thin arc that spanned a fjord in Western Greenland.  
Tracking Nightlights in Libya
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Tracking Nightlights in Libya

Cities and towns darkened after a cyclone unleashed torrential flooding along the country’s coast.

Published Sep 25, 2023

Image of the Day Human Presence

Shebelle River Floodplain
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Shebelle River Floodplain

Southeastern Ethiopia’s longest river supports the growth of green vegetation amid the otherwise brown, desert landscape.

Published Sep 24, 2023

Image of the Day Land

OSIRIS-REx Prepares to Return Asteroid Sample
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OSIRIS-REx Prepares to Return Asteroid Sample

Teams monitor weather and ground conditions in Utah’s West Desert, where a capsule containing a piece of space rock is expected to land.

Published Sep 23, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land

A Smoky Cloud Swirl
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A Smoky Cloud Swirl

Intense fires and a passing cold front led to the sprawling feature.

Published Sep 22, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Devastation in Morocco
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Devastation in Morocco

Communities in the High Atlas Mountains were among the hardest hit after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake caused widespread damage.

Published Sep 20, 2023

Image of the Day Land

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 19, 2023

Mussel Rafts of the Rías de Arousa
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Mussel Rafts of the Rías de Arousa

The estuarine inlets of Spain’s Galicia coast are some of the most productive places to grow mussels.

Published Sep 19, 2023

Image of the Day Water Human Presence

Melting on Humboldt Glacier
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Melting on Humboldt Glacier

Unusual late-season melting in Greenland turned the glacier’s surface into a mishmash of ice, firn, melt, and dirt.

Published Sep 18, 2023

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Aug 2023

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

Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains
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Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains

The icy landscape high in the Andes is dotted with colorful glacial lakes and weathered rock.

Published Sep 17, 2023

Image of the Day Land Snow and Ice

Water Returns to Laguna de Aculeo
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Water Returns to Laguna de Aculeo

The drought in Chile isn’t over, but recent late-winter rains provided enough moisture for water to start pooling up again.

Published Sep 16, 2023

Image of the Day Life Water

Water Vapor
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Aug 2023

Water Vapor

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.

Atmosphere

Summer 2023 Was the Hottest on Record
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Summer 2023 Was the Hottest on Record

June, July, and August were 0.23°C (0.41°F) warmer than any other summer in NASA’s record.

Published Sep 14, 2023

Image of the Day Heat Temperature Extremes

Torrential Rain Wreaks Havoc in Libya
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Torrential Rain Wreaks Havoc in Libya

A Mediterranean cyclone contributed to deadly flooding along the country’s coastline.

Published Sep 13, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water Floods

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

Hurricane Lee Traverses the Warm Atlantic
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Hurricane Lee Traverses the Warm Atlantic

The major storm fluctuated in intensity as it approached the U.S. East Coast.

Published Sep 12, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water Severe Storms

Net Radiation
Global Maps Jul 2006 — Jan 2023

Net Radiation

Net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere. It is the total energy available to influence climate after light and heat are reflected, absorbed, or emitted by clouds and land.

Heat

Boreal Summer
Notes from the Field

Boreal Summer

Scientists returned to central Alaska's boreal forests to measure plant activity during the peak of summer.

Published Sep 12, 2023

Solar Activity

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

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Aug 2023

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

North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article

North Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2023 season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity generally occurring in September.

Published Jun 1, 2023

Atmosphere Remote Sensing

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Aug 2023

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

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

Fire Season in the Northern Hemisphere
Article

Fire Season in the Northern Hemisphere

Wildland fires in 2023 brought hazy skies and poor air quality to several countries north of the equator.

Published May 22, 2023

Atmosphere Land

Food and Agriculture
Article

Food and Agriculture

From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.

Published Feb 28, 2023

Land

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

Winter from the International Space Station
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Winter from the International Space Station

Over the years, astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory have snapped spectacular photographs of Earth’s snow and ice in both hemispheres.

Published Dec 21, 2022

Snow and Ice

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Aug 2023

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

World of Change
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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

EO On This Day
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EO On This Day

In honor of our site anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from 23 years online — one image for each day of the calendar year.

Published Apr 26, 2022

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Water Snow and Ice