The Terra satellite captured a rainbow-like optical phenomenon called a glory over the Pacific Ocean. Water droplets within clouds scatter light to produce the effect.
Published Jun 27, 2012
Patches of open-celled clouds off the west coast of Peru offer beautiful glimpses of the sea—and pointers to where rain may have fallen.
Published Aug 7, 2018
Low, moist ocean clouds outline South American country’s coastal desert.
Published May 31, 2014
Data collected by a sensor on the Aqua satellite reveals the global distribution of clouds.
Published May 8, 2015
This true-color image shows North and South America as they would appear from 35,000 km (22,000 miles) above the Earth.
Published Oct 17, 2000
It takes infrared imaging to distinguish snow from clouds over the Pacific Northwest.
Published Dec 13, 2015
Tendrils of fog outline river valleys as the Andes Mountains block advancing banks of ocean clouds.
Published Jun 14, 2015
Whether a patch of clouds contains open or closed cells offers a clue about whether rain is falling below.
Published Feb 6, 2016
The island itself is almost too small see in this image, but it serves as the starting point for the clouds that flow toward the northeast in a giant V shape. Amsterdam Island is a volcanic summit, the northernmost volcano on the Antarctic tectonic plate.
Published Dec 30, 2005
A striking display of high-altitude clouds over the Pacific Ocean are clearly cirrus, but further classification remains elusive.
Published May 29, 2015
Parallel “roll clouds” over the Pacific Ocean were likely influenced by the development of Tropical Cyclone Cook.
Published Apr 15, 2017
Marine stratocumulus clouds that frequently develop off the coast of Peru occassionally move inland, filling the valleys with a thick fog.
Published Dec 27, 2016
Extremely cold and wet conditions in the mesosphere have led to abundant noctilucent clouds.
Published Jul 9, 2020
People have been marveling at glories for centuries, but satellites offer a unique perspective on the colorful optical phenomenon.
Published Jun 23, 2018
False-color imagery pulls out a volcanic plume from marine-layer clouds over the South Atlantic Ocean.
Published May 11, 2014
Clouds and snow whiten different parts of central Europe in this image from early November 2011.
Published Nov 15, 2011
Noctilucent clouds float high enough in the atmosphere to capture a little bit of stray sunlight even after the Sun has set below them.
Published Dec 2, 2016
High-altitude clouds appeared as far south as the continental United States in early June 2015.
Published Jun 19, 2015
The rare night-shining clouds seen in this photo are both forming more frequently and becoming brighter, trends that point to changes in the atmosphere linked to greenhouse gases.
Published Jan 27, 2011
Events on Earth’s surface can affect the development and shape of clouds in the sky.
Published Jan 3, 2017Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
Hole-punch and canal clouds form when aircraft pass through altocumulus clouds that are rich with supercooled water droplets.
Published Dec 30, 2015
Satellite images separated by 50 years show actinoform clouds over the Pacific Ocean.
Published Jul 19, 2012
Anvil clouds and towering thunderheads stood tall over northeastern Brazil.
Published Dec 15, 2019
Hole-punch and canal clouds form when aircraft pass through altocumulus clouds that are rich with supercooled water droplets.
Published Dec 20, 2014
As spring turns to summer in the northern hemisphere, unusual streaks of clouds form high in the atmosphere around sunset.
Published Jun 27, 2019
