When the Apollo 11 astronauts left the surface of the Moon on July 21, 1969, they brought home samples of solar wind particles, lunar rocks and dirt, and a big helping of perspective.
Published Jul 20, 2019
Across two decades, the Terra satellite has been a great leap for Earth system science, observing how different spheres fit together as a whole.
Published Dec 18, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Drought Fires Remote Sensing
From one million miles away, the DSCOVR satellite returned its first view of the entire sunlit side of Earth.
Published Jul 21, 2015
An Earth Observatory reader used widely available software to correct the oblique perspective of an earlier photograph of Montserrat and to adjust the color. The story of how he modified the image includes step-by-step instructions that can be applied to other photographs.
Published Mar 27, 2002
When the DSCOVR mission was conceived in the late 1990s, one of the central ideas was to provide daily, natural-color views of the entire Earth so that everyday citizens could see it. Seventeen years later, we have that view.
Published Oct 23, 2015
After arriving in its final orbit, DSCOVR will monitor the solar wind and send back epic views of Earth’s full sunlit disk.
Published Feb 13, 2015
Twelves cities in South America’s largest country will host games in the 2014 World Cup of football (soccer).
Published Jun 13, 2014
A nearly uninterrupted string of lights stretches from Philadelphia to Hartford.
Published May 1, 2017
These iconic photos are not new, but their message never gets old.
Published Dec 24, 2018
Acquired December 3, 2010, this natural-color image shows Amman, Jordan, and its surroundings.
Published May 15, 2011
A mining operation in China dominates the global market for rare metals used in consumer products.
Published Apr 21, 2012
The Curiosity rover on Mars looked up and saw home on the horizon.
Published Mar 9, 2014
Black piles of slag define the ancient copper mining and smelting site, Khirbat en-Nahas, in this image from August 11, 2010.
Published Dec 1, 2010
Sixteen operating satellites monitor Earth. Four more are scheduled to launch in 2014.
Published Jul 5, 2013
Before there was a Blue Marble photograph or composite image of Earth, there was TIROS IX.
Published Apr 22, 2015
Seen from a billion kilometers away, through the ice and dust particles of Saturn’s rings, Earth appears as a tiny, bright dot.
Published Jan 16, 2007
In March 2017, phytoplankton bloomed off the coast of Tunisia.
Published Mar 25, 2017
On July 19, 2013, NASA spacecraft got not one but two rare and unique views of Earth from opposite ends of the solar system.
Published Jul 24, 2013
NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite, Suomi NPP, collected the images that went into this new view of our home planet.
Published Feb 4, 2012
A powerful telescope on a satellite orbiting Mars turned its gaze back on Earth.
Published Jan 21, 2017
Astronauts captured this view of two snow-covered volcanoes in southern Kamchatka, Russia.
Published Dec 21, 2015
As the spacecraft headed into its last days, it sent back this image of Earth framed by Saturn’s rings.
Published Apr 29, 2017
Storms and a lunar eclipse are a few of the phenomena visible in animations of Earth’s full disk.
Published Dec 16, 2015
This image of Earth was captured by the MESSENGER spacecraft during a flyby of our home planet on August 2, 2005. Parts of South and North America were in view.
Published May 8, 2009
