Nelson Mandela took the long view of his country and world, as does this photo from the space station.
Published Dec 15, 2013
Photographs taken by astronauts on the ISS in 2003 and 2013 show the evolution of a dune field in Chad.
Published Dec 9, 2013
An astronaut captured this view of an eruption plume amidst a chain of volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Published Dec 2, 2013
Though there are no historical accounts, geologic evidence suggests an eruption about 3,100 years ago affected Pre-Columbian settlements in Mexico.
Published Nov 25, 2013
The second largest container port in France is also a World Heritage Site for its unique concrete buildings.
Published Nov 18, 2013
One of Earth’s richest borate deposits is at the center of the largest open-pit mine in California.
Published Nov 11, 2013
A photograph by an astronaut on the International Space Station shows a progressively shrinking glacier in the North Patagonian Icefield.
Published Nov 4, 2013
The largest and most active of several volcanic centers on New Zealand’s North Island is also the island’s highest mountain.
Published Oct 28, 2013
City lights reflect some of the landscape features that determine urban growth patterns in the region.
Published Oct 21, 2013
City lights trace one of the most densely populated portions of the United States.
Published Sep 30, 2013
A key city on the old Silk Road stands midway between Western Europe and China.
Published Sep 23, 2013
Ancient volcanoes collapsed back into the crust of Italy, allowing lakes to form.
Published Sep 16, 2013
Clouds trace out atmospheric eddies and vortices near Baja, California.
Published Sep 9, 2013
Calcium carbonate particles discolored nearly the entirely surface of one of the Great Lakes in August 2013.
Published Sep 2, 2013
Runoff chokes the swollen Amur River in this astronaut photograph taken on August 21, 2013.
Published Aug 28, 2013
The estuary is a haven for marine life and for tourists who come to observe that life.
Published Aug 26, 2013
Tens of thousands of acres in the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness have burned during the 2013 wildfire season.
Published Aug 23, 2013
Some astronauts say these wispy, iridescent clouds are the most beautiful phenomena they see from orbit.
Published Aug 20, 2013
Coastal cities flourish amidst a more moderate climate along the Red Sea.
Published Aug 12, 2013
The narrow strait between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia is an important passage for ships trying to reach Israel and Jordan.
Published Aug 5, 2013
Along the border of Mexico and the U.S., a geologically and tectonically complex area serves as a visual reference point for astronauts on the International Space Station.
Published Jul 29, 2013
This astronaut view of blending air masses, wind fields, and light reflections is a combination of beauty and of insight about the environment.
Published Jul 22, 2013
It is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, with evidence of human habitation extending back to 8,000–10,000 BC.
Published Jul 15, 2013
Airborne dust draws the eye to the place where Africa and Arabia once fit together.
Published Jul 8, 2013
This nighttime view from the International Space Station shows the state's four largest cities.
Published Jul 1, 2013
A camera system on the International Space Station observed the high water and muddy aftermath in southern Alberta, Canada.
Published Jun 29, 2013
The West Fork Complex fire was so hot that it spawned numerous pyrocumulus clouds.
Published Jun 26, 2013
This photograph by an astronaut on the International Space Station highlights the Nevados de Chillán, a large volcanic area near the Chile-Argentina border.
Published Jun 24, 2013
Astronauts observed ongoing activity at the volcano in the Vanuatu Archipelago.
Published Jun 17, 2013
The landscape is defined by hills to the west and by the river running through it, not to mention the oxbow lakes that water left behind.
Published Jun 10, 2013
