Detailed fire maps, produced in minutes with data from a NASA airborne sensor, enabled firefighters in Alabama to limit the spread of wildfires and save buildings.
The Hawaiian volcano has been spewing fountains of lava with remarkable frequency.
On a night with little to no moonlight, other sources of nighttime lights were on vivid display in parts of Burma, Thailand, and Laos.
Published May 11, 2025
A layer of salt called the Paradox Formation played a crucial role in the formation of thousands of arches within Utah’s Arches National Park.
Published May 10, 2025
Warm temperatures and spring rains unleashed a surge of water that inundated riverside communities in the northern part of the Central Asian country.
Published May 7, 2025
The largest iceberg currently at sea is parked off the coast of South Georgia Island and showing signs of fragility.
Published May 7, 2025
Wintry conditions swept across the mountains, while destructive wind and flooding hit some of the country’s largest cities.
Published May 5, 2025Image of the Day Severe Storms Remote Sensing Temperature Extremes
A late-season herring spawn in a British Columbia inlet created a vibrant patch of turquoise water.
Published May 5, 2025
In northern Chad, the tallest peak in the Sahara Desert is topped with a patch of salt, not snow.
Published May 4, 2025
Many growers have been forced to replant as a prolonged flood killed off crops in the Arkansas Delta.
Published May 2, 2025
Satellite-derived maps of nighttime lights in southern Spain revealed power outages that persisted across rural areas as the region was recovering from a widespread blackout.
Published May 1, 2025
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
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.
Heavy rain in Queensland sent floodwaters coursing through the Australian Outback. Carpets of green emerged in their wake.
Published Apr 30, 2025
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
Spring and early summer in the Chihuahuan Desert are dusty, but El Paso and the Borderplex region are experiencing one of their dustiest seasons since the 1930s Dust Bowl.
Published Apr 29, 2025
Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us where it is, what we are looking at, and why it is interesting.
Published Apr 22, 2025
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.
What do you do when presented with a new satellite image? Here's what the Earth Observatory team does to understand the view.
Published Nov 18, 2013
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 2024
People have developed systems to harvest and store energy from sources such as wind, sunlight, and tidal action. Many of these installations are visible from orbit.
Published May 10, 2024
From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.
Published Apr 8, 2024
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
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Mar 26, 2024
Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some areas as the world warms.
Published Feb 27, 2024
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
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 Aug 28, 2020
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.
Land surface temperatures rise and fall with the heat of the Sun, and they represent how hot or cold the surface would feel to touch. These maps show daytime land temperatures as measured from space.
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.
