Sea Ice Takes a Spin Down the Coast

Ice fragments from Greenland and the Arctic form elaborate swirls as they are swept south.

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Heat Scorches U.S. Southwest

An early summer heat wave broke temperature records in Nevada, Arizona, and California in June 2024.

Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Temperature Extremes

Kamchatka at Night

Moonlit mountains and illuminated towns highlight geographic features on this sparsely populated Russian peninsula.

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Culebra’s Coral Reefs  

The remote archipelago is flanked by extensive coral reef areas, but these hubs of biodiversity face a summer of sweltering water temperatures.

Image of the Day Land

Drought Parches Mexico

Dry weather is putting extra strain on the systems that deliver water to Mexico City.  

Image of the Day Heat Water Drought

Humboldt Glacier’s Demise

Venezuela is the first postglacial nation in the Andes, as its last substantial patch of ice is now considered too small to flow under its own weight.

Image of the Day Land Snow and Ice

Grass Fire Chars California

Strong winds and ample fuel helped spread flames over 14,000 acres of grassland in San Joaquin County.

Image of the Day Land Fires

Satellite Data Suggest U.S. Methane Emissions Underestimated

Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas may be higher than previously thought, especially from landfills.

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Earth at Night

Satellite images of Earth at night have been a curiosity for the public and a tool of fundamental research for at least 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness.

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Sea Surface Temperature

Ocean temperatures can influence weather, such as hurricane formation, and climate patterns, such as El Niño. These maps show the temperature at the surface of the world’s seas and oceans.

Heat Water

Aerosol Optical Depth

Airborne aerosols can cause or prevent cloud formation and harm human health. These maps depict aerosol concentrations in the air based on how the tiny particles reflect or absorb visible and infrared light.

Atmosphere

Aerosol Size

Sea salt, volcanic ash, dust, wildfire smoke, and industrial pollution are types of airborne aerosols. Natural aerosols tend to be larger than human-made aerosols. These maps show when and where aerosols come from nature, humans, or both.

Atmosphere

Iceland Eruption Goes Another Round

A volcanic fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula came alive again with voluminous, vigorous flows.

Image of the Day Volcanoes Remote Sensing

Dunes and Desert Replace the Aral Sea

A former island and a desert are among the newcomers to the dry landscape following the lake’s rapid decline.

Image of the Day Land

Water Vapor

These maps show the average amount of water vapor in a column of atmosphere by month. Water vapor is the key precursor for rain and snow and one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Atmosphere

Reefs of La Parguera

In Puerto Rico, corals, seagrass, and mangroves paint a colorful Caribbean scene by day, while the waters of a rare bioluminescent bay glow blue at night.

Image of the Day Water

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

What do you do when presented with a new satellite image? Here's what the Earth Observatory team does to understand the view.

Remote Sensing

Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

May Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Citizen Scientists Capture Brilliant Photos of the Aurora

Participants in NASA's Aurorasaurus project captured these images during the May 2024 geomagnetic storm. 

Temperature Extremes 2023

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Heat

North Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2023 season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity generally occurring in September.

Atmosphere Remote Sensing

Snow Cover

Snow and ice influence climate by reflecting sunlight back into space. When it melts, snow is a source of water for drinking and vegetation; too much snowmelt can lead to floods. These maps show average snow cover by month.

Snow and Ice

Fire Season in the Northern Hemisphere

Wildland fires in 2023 brought hazy skies and poor air quality to several countries north of the equator.

Atmosphere Land

Net Radiation

Net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere. It is the total energy available to influence climate after light and heat are reflected, absorbed, or emitted by clouds and land.

Heat

World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

Food and Agriculture

From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.

Land

Winter from the International Space Station

Over the years, astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory have snapped spectacular photographs of Earth’s snow and ice in both hemispheres.

Snow and Ice

EO On This Day

In honor of our site anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from 23 years online — one image for each day of the calendar year.

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Water Snow and Ice

Mission: Biomes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a different part of the world? What would the weather be like? What kinds of animals would you see? Which plants live there? By investigating these questions, you are learning about biomes.

Land Life