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To celebrate EO's 20th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we want you to pick our all-time best image. Each week from March 23 to April 28, you can vote for your favorites, narrowing the field from 32 nominees down to one champion.
Seasonal agricultural fires and wildfires are polluting the region’s air.
For six days, wildfires have been spreading near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Published Apr 9, 2020
When NASA launched the Nimbus-4 satellite 50 years ago, nobody knew the ozone layer over Antarctica was thinning.
Published Apr 9, 2020 in Earth Matters
The rich mosaic of reeds, ponds, and meadows of the Ili River Delta offer habitat for hundreds of species.
Published Apr 7, 2020
There have been two rounds of voting in Tournament Earth, and two rounds of upsets. What surprises await in round 3?
Published Apr 7, 2020 in Earth Matters
During nearly a year of flight testing on the space station, a new thermal infrared camera collected more than 15 million images.
Published Apr 7, 2020
Using a helicopter, a laser, and precise GPS coordinates, MOSAiC expedition scientists made measurements that will help validate sea ice data collected by NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite.
Published Apr 7, 2020 in Notes From the Field
The category 5 storm wreaked havoc on the small island nation in the South Pacific.
Published Apr 6, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Human Presence Remote Sensing
Twin satellites are assessing the state of soil moisture and groundwater on the continent and around the world.
Published Apr 5, 2020
Despite sporadic rainfall, the island is the occasional home of two of the larger bodies of water in Hawaii.
Published Apr 3, 2020
This lake in northwest Russia is small compared to Lake Baikal, yet it still manages to make a stately appearance in satellite imagery.
Published Apr 3, 2020
At 500 meters deep, the Makhtesh Ramon is the world’s largest erosion crater.
Published Apr 2, 2020
After cracks formed in the sea ice, the MOSAiC expedition team decided to move instruments to safer location.
Published Apr 2, 2020 in Notes From the Field
The fast-growing city of Cairo has spilled onto desert plains well beyond the lush floodplain of the Nile River.
Published Apr 1, 2020
High water on the James River in South Dakota has persisted for more than a year.
Published Mar 31, 2020Image of the Day Land Water Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
Every month we offer a puzzling satellite image. Your challenge is to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Mar 31, 2020 in Earth Matters
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.
Published Apr 12, 2017
These maps depict monthly total rainfall around the world. Rainfall is the primary source of fresh water for humans, plants, and animals. Rain also moves heat between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
Cracks in the Arctic sea ice are important for satellite-based measurements of the ice’s thickness. They also pose challenges for ship-based researchers participating in the MOSAiC expedition.
Published Mar 30, 2020
Researchers are using satellite data to understand where locusts may spread during the largest infestation in eastern Africa in decades.
Published Mar 27, 2020
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.
A newly formed sinkhole on the Coca River has diverted water originally headed towards the San Rafael Waterfall.
Published Mar 27, 2020
Earth’s third-highest summit, Kangchenjunga, rises more than 8500 meters above sea level along the border of Nepal and India.
Published Mar 27, 2020
Night lights not only speak to where we live, but how.
Published Mar 26, 2020
Vote for your favorite all-time Earth Observatory image. Help narrow the field from 32 nominees down to one champion in a five-round tournament.
Published Mar 26, 2020Atmosphere Land Life Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Videos
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.
In addition to making rain and snow, clouds can have a warming or cooling influence depending on their altitude, type, and when they form. These maps show what fraction of an area was cloudy each month.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
The shrinking of this once-vast inland lake means winds more frequently pick up dust from the exposed lakebed.
Published Mar 25, 2020
Slight recoveries in the extent of sea ice at both poles were not enough to return to long-term normal levels.
Published Mar 24, 2020Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Sea and Lake Ice
Industrialization has brought incredible societal advances and difficult pollution problems. From space, we can see skies clearing in some regions and darkening in others. The thin blue line of our atmosphere is still quite vulnerable.
Published Jun 24, 2014
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.
Published Oct 5, 2000
Winter is loosening its grip on the Northern Hemisphere, but the seasonal change in Northern Europe is less dramatic than most years.
Published Mar 23, 2020
The Hawaiian island has been scarred by volcanic eruptions, livestock grazing, penal colonies, bombs, and fire. Yet there is hope for healing.
Published Mar 20, 2020
Good news has been scarce. But here's at least one update ― from one million miles away ― to appreciate.
Published Mar 20, 2020 in Earth Matters
Cracks in the sea ice are a not-so-gentle reminder that the ice can be extremely dynamic, and researchers should be prepared for anything.
Published Mar 20, 2020 in Notes From the Field
Heavy rain in March drenches parched land in southwestern Queensland.
Published Mar 20, 2020
They are geographically isolated but scientifically and visually compelling.
Published Mar 20, 2020
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.
Carried by winds and currents, sea ice can reach the coast of Hokkaido, Japan.
Published Mar 19, 2020
These nested volcanic features grew as small, secondary vents along the flanks of larger volcanoes.
Published Mar 18, 2020
When it erupted in January 2020, Taal Volcano blanketed the surrounding area with volcanic debris that has taken a toll on farmers.
Published Mar 17, 2020
The 12,000-year old town of Hasankeyf could soon be underwater due to the construction of a new dam.
Published Mar 16, 2020
Central to the entire MOSAiC Expedition is the MOSAiC Floe: a large sheet of sea ice that was carefully selected as the ideal place to anchor Polarstern for an entire year.
Published Mar 16, 2020 in Notes From the Field
Find out about sea ice and its effects on ecosystems and global climate by looking at how and when it forms on Earth. Plus, learn how different types of water freeze in our “DIY Science” activity: “Saltwater is Cool (Literally).”
Published Mar 13, 2020 in EO Kids
The MOSAiC Leg 3 team is officially on board the Polarstern, and science activities have quickly begun.
Published Mar 13, 2020 in Notes From the Field
Winds and currents stirred up the thin sea ice, forming delicate patterns around Anticosti Island in Quebec, Canada.
Published Mar 13, 2020Image of the Day Water Unique Imagery Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
Big rain events in Queensland can alter the landscape for months as water—and then a carpet of vegetation—moves toward Lake Eyre.
Published Mar 13, 2020
The almost circular massif in the Darfur region is a large cluster of volcanoes and lava flows, with a few traces of human activity.
Published Mar 13, 2020
New data from the European Space Agency now show drops in nitrogen dioxide concentrations over Italy due to that country's nationwide lockdown.
Published Mar 13, 2020 in Earth Matters
The Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex plays a key role in keeping engineers and scientists connected to distant spacecraft.
Published Mar 13, 2020
Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. Watch the glacier’s ice front as it retreats and sheds some notable icebergs over the past two decades.
Published Feb 13, 2020
The average global temperature has increased by a little more than 1° Celsius (2° Fahrenheit) since 1880. Two-thirds of the warming has occurred since 1975.
Published Jan 29, 2020
Scientists create maps of forest cover to understand where the composition and structure of Pacific Northwest forests are sufficient for the threatened species to nest and roost.
Published Jan 3, 2020
2019 brought many memorable events on Planet Earth. Here are a few highlights from around the globe.
Published Dec 20, 2019
Chlorophyll is used by algae and other phytoplankton--the grass of the sea--to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars. These maps show chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean, revealing where phytoplankton are thriving.
