Field of Soy Dreams in Illinois 

The Midwest state has flat land, fertile soils, and the nation’s largest soybean harvest.  

Image of the Day Land

June Puzzler

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

A Tornado’s Mark on Kentucky

One of the strongest tornadoes to hit the area left a long scar across the landscape.

Image of the Day Severe Storms Human Presence

Lake Chad’s Water, Wetlands, and Dunes

Astronauts have photographed the diminishing lake in Central Africa for decades, most recently in January 2025, as its area remained just a fraction of its past size.

Image of the Day Water

Geometry in the Golden Triangle

Agricultural fields in north-central Montana, where wheat grows in abundance, display captivating patterns when viewed from above.

Image of the Day Land

Fires Near Alberta’s Oil Sands

Fires in northern Alberta temporarily disrupted Canadian oil production.

Image of the Day Fires Remote Sensing

Smoky Skies and Blooming Seas

Smoke from wildland fires in Canada streamed over colorful seawater east of Greenland.

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires

Glacier Collapse Buries Swiss Village

The rock and ice avalanche that overtook Blatten was exceptionally large for the Alps.

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Landslides

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

Fire

Whether started by humans (farming, logging, or accidents) or by nature (lightning), fires are always burning somewhere on Earth. These maps show the locations of fires burning around the world each month.

Land

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

A Haze Over North America

Canadian wildfires produced smoke plumes so vast they were visible from deep space and caused hazy skies as far south as Florida.

Image of the Day Fires Remote Sensing

Meandering Through Baton Rouge

The Mississippi River has shaped the landscape in southeastern Louisiana, supporting agriculture and connecting the region with vital trade and navigation routes.

Image of the Day Land

A Destructive Glacial Outburst Flood in Peru

Rockfalls overwhelmed one of Vallunaraju’s glacial lakes, unleashing a destructive debris flow that struck the city of Huaraz.

Image of the Day Snow and Ice Landslides

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

Record Heat in Northwest European Waters

Unusually warm sea surface temperatures lingered for months in the waters around the U.K. and Ireland in spring 2025.

Image of the Day Heat Temperature Extremes

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

Cloud Fraction

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.

Atmosphere

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

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly

These maps depict anomalies in land surface temperatures (LSTs); that is, how much hotter or cooler a region was compared to the long-term average. LST anomalies can indicate heat waves or cold spells.

Heat Land

May Puzzler

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

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.

Atmosphere

Renewable and Alternative Energy

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.

Land Human Presence

Air Quality

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.

Atmosphere Human Presence

Temperature Extremes 2024

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

Heat

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere

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.

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

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

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

Temperature Extremes 2023

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

Heat

Blue Marble Next Generation

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

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice