Fall Colors

As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.

Autumn in Northern Mongolia
Image

Autumn in Northern Mongolia

Larch-filled forests turned from green to gold around Lake Hövsgöl in September 2024.

Published Oct 7, 2024

Image of the Day Land

Watching for Color in the Wasatch Back
Image

Watching for Color in the Wasatch Back

The eastern side of the Wasatch Range in autumn displays abundant reds and oranges, followed by vibrant yellows.

Published Nov 13, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Fall Color in the Cuyahoga Valley
Image

Fall Color in the Cuyahoga Valley

Forests of maples and oaks show their brilliant autumn hues in northeast Ohio’s national park.

Published Nov 6, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Warm Autumn Hues on Kodiak Island
Image

Warm Autumn Hues on Kodiak Island

The Alaskan tundra puts on a fleeting display of color before the snows fall and bears hibernate.

Published Oct 11, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Snow on the Upper Peninsula
Image

Snow on the Upper Peninsula

A snowstorm dropped a temporary blanket of white in Michigan amid the region’s colorful fall foliage.

Published Oct 24, 2022

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Snow and Ice

Autumn in the Adirondacks
Image

Autumn in the Adirondacks

Vibrant leaf color in northeast New York has not disappointed leaf-peepers.

Published Oct 15, 2022

Image of the Day Land

Autumn Transformation in Southern Norway
Image

Autumn Transformation in Southern Norway

On the final day of summer, much of the region’s vegetation had already turned from green to autumnal brown and gold.

Published Sep 22, 2022

Image of the Day Land

Leaf Hunting in Japan
Image

Leaf Hunting in Japan

Momijiari can last into early December in the country’s southern regions.

Published Nov 30, 2021

Image of the Day Land

Falling For Corn
Image

Falling For Corn

More than one third of the world’s maize (corn) crop is grown in the United States, and the largest share comes from a swath of land across the Midwest.

Published Nov 4, 2021

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Russia’s Golden Autumn
Image

Russia’s Golden Autumn

Primorsky Krai, in the Russian Far East, displays some of the planet’s most striking fall color.

Published Oct 22, 2021

Image of the Day Land

Autumn in Sault Ste. Marie
Image

Autumn in Sault Ste. Marie

The oldest city in North America’s Great Lakes region is surrounded by areas of stunning seasonal color.

Published Oct 11, 2021

Image of the Day Land

Painting Pennsylvania Hills
Image

Painting Pennsylvania Hills

The region of rolling hills and valleys is part of a geologic formation known as the Ridge and Valley Province.

Published Nov 28, 2020

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Fall Color in Ottawa
Image

Fall Color in Ottawa

Trees have long been cherished here for timber and for the colors they bring to “the Fall Rhapsody.”

Published Oct 24, 2020

Image of the Day Land

Winter is Coming
Image

Winter is Coming

Long blue shadows on the snow portend frigid days ahead in this far eastern corner of Siberia.

Published Oct 21, 2020

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land

Superior Fall Colors
Image

Superior Fall Colors

In autumn, the leaves on deciduous trees change colors as they lose chlorophyll, the molecule that plants use to synthesize food.

Published Sep 29, 2020

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Unique Imagery

Before the Leaves Fall
Image

Before the Leaves Fall

Beneath a collection of contrails, colorful foliage spreads across a mountain landscape in the eastern U.S.

Published Nov 2, 2019

Image of the Day Atmosphere

A Transylvanian Transect for Halloween
Image

A Transylvanian Transect for Halloween

ICESat-2 collected some perspective on the legendary landscape of Vlad and Dracula.

Published Oct 31, 2019

Image of the Day Land Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Massive Muddy Tides in the Bay of Fundy
Image

Massive Muddy Tides in the Bay of Fundy

High tides in the funnel-shaped bay are anything but a bore when they collide with river water flowing in the opposite direction.

Published Oct 28, 2019

Image of the Day Land Water

Autumn Along the Amur
Image

Autumn Along the Amur

Orange and yellow foliage paint the banks of this river in the Russian Far East.

Published Oct 10, 2019

Image of the Day Land Water

Mountains of Fall Color
Image

Mountains of Fall Color

Leaves are changing color along the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

Published Oct 20, 2018

Image of the Day Land Life Remote Sensing

Autumn Comes to Ogden
Image

Autumn Comes to Ogden

Deciduous trees in northern Utah paint the mountains in shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple.

Published Oct 15, 2018

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Check Out These Colors, Maine!
Image

Check Out These Colors, Maine!

In October, the state transitions form north to south with vibrant displays of peak autumn foliage.

Published Oct 22, 2017

Image of the Day Land

A Blaze of Color in Alaska
Image

A Blaze of Color in Alaska

Changing deciduous trees and shrubs came together with evergreens to make this spectacular fall scene.

Published Oct 8, 2017

Image of the Day Land Water

Contrasting Ridges in Virginia
Image

Contrasting Ridges in Virginia

Despite being quite close to each other, two mountain ridges in western Virginia have very different origins.

Published Mar 15, 2017

Image of the Day Land

A Blaze of Yellow
Image

A Blaze of Yellow

In northern Sweden, bursts of fall color fill valleys before the darkness of winter descends.

Published Oct 22, 2016

Image of the Day Land

Fall Color Arrives in the U.S. and Canada
Image

Fall Color Arrives in the U.S. and Canada

Leaves change from green to orange and brown across the United States and Canada.

Published Oct 15, 2015

Image of the Day Land Life

Fall Colors in Eastern Siberia
Image

Fall Colors in Eastern Siberia

As temperatures cool, deciduous trees in Siberia are making their annual transformation.

Published Sep 12, 2015

Image of the Day Land Unique Imagery

Fall Colors Arriving
Image

Fall Colors Arriving

A process that occurs on a micro scale in trees shows up on a macro scale in satellite imagery.

Published Sep 30, 2014

Image of the Day Land Life

Fall Colors in Pennsylvania
Image

Fall Colors in Pennsylvania

Cooler temperatures and shorter days have transformed Pennsylvania’s forests.

Published Oct 30, 2013

Image of the Day Land

Fall Colors in the Mid-Atlantic
Image

Fall Colors in the Mid-Atlantic

Fall colors swept across the Mid-Atlantic during October 2012.

Published Oct 26, 2012

Land Unique Imagery