They are geographically isolated but scientifically and visually compelling.
Image of the Day Land
The almost circular massif in the Darfur region is a large cluster of volcanoes and lava flows, with a few traces of human activity.
The remote hamlet sits along California’s rugged “Lost Coast.”
Image of the Day Land Water
The only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean is part of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago.
Image of the Day Water
Ancient geologic features and modern creations share the spotlight in this photo of southeastern Utah and northern Arizona taken from the ISS.
This photograph highlights several snow- and ice-capped volcanoes as they cast early morning shadows over a mountainous region of Bolivia and Chile.
Complicated tectonics elevated the high plateau from rock layers that were originally deposited millions of years ago at the bottom of the sea.
Natural wonders of Peru stand out in this wide-angle photograph.
Two of the largest freshwater lakes in Turkey sit on the Anatolia Plateau.
Astronaut Christina Koch snapped a picture of the Quadrantids in January 2020.
Image of the Day Atmosphere
Astronauts captured a striking glimpse of the Andes Mountains, which divide lush forest from the Atacama Desert.
Image of the Day Land Human Presence
An astronaut captured this view of the Front Range, the San Juan Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
At the boundary between Earth and space, particles and gases and energy do an intricate and colorful dance that varies daily.
Image of the Day Remote Sensing
Geologically young, dark lava flows stand out from older, lighter rocks and the sands of the central Sahara.
The winter scene includes icy shorelines and frozen landscapes around Hudson Bay under thin, wrinkled clouds.
Image of the Day Snow and Ice
Sunlight highlights details around Rio Paraná, Rio Tiete, and Rio Paranapanema.
Anvil clouds and towering thunderheads stood tall over northeastern Brazil.
The fourth largest man-made reservoir in North America extends from Pierre, South Dakota, to Bismarck, North Dakota.
The grid-like pattern that spreads across the encompassing flatlands is typical of the Great Plains region and of Nebraska in particular.
A mountain-building event lifted up this area between 40 and 70 million years ago.
Different lens sizes and camera angles provide wildly different views of Madagascar.
Italy’s major southern port and naval base has a history dating back to Roman times.
Image of the Day Human Presence
The winter season is often hot and dry, leading rivers to dry up and become vulnerable to aeolian processes.
Ash, pumice, and steam shaped the landscape around Katmai and Novarupta.
A new study shows that nocturnal animals are less active when the nights are too bright with electric lighting.
Image of the Day Land Life Human Presence Remote Sensing
This composite image was made from more than 400 photos taken as the International Space Station traveled from Namibia toward the Red Sea.
Image of the Day Atmosphere Human Presence
Trails up Mount Whitney and across Forester Pass give hikers access high into the California mountain range.
Yellow flowers brighten the landscape of southwestern Russia.
During morning and evening hours, dense smoke often settles in low-lying areas and becomes trapped due to temperature inversions.
Image of the Day Land Fires
Fantastic dunes stand alongside one of the world’s largest internally draining river systems.