“Godzilla” Dust Cloud Described As “Amazing” by NASA Astronaut Aboard Space Station
Winds routinely drive clouds of Saharan dust out of West Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean in the summer. But the intensity and extent of…
Earth Observatory
Spectacular New Images Capture the Space Station Cruise Across the Sun
Moving at eight kilometers (five miles) per second, the International Space Station (ISS) circles our planet every 90 minutes. In a 24-hour period, crew members…
Satellite Maps Shows Signs of Drought in European Groundwater
The 2019-20 winter in Europe was the warmest on record, with little snow. The spring was also drier and warmer than normal, with an historic…
Incredible Astronaut’s View of an Annular “Ring of Fire” Eclipse
A day after the summer solstice, a new Moon passed in front of the Sun to create an annular eclipse across large swaths of Asia…
Meteorologists Shocked as Heat and Fire Scorches Siberia
Eastern Siberia is famous for some of the coldest wintertime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. But in 2020, it has been the region’s wildly high…
Unusual “Volcano Track” Clouds Investigated
In 2008, atmospheric scientist Santiago Gassó authored a study that highlighted abnormally bright trails of clouds around remote peaks in the South Sandwich Islands. The…
After Two Years of Drought Ends, Southeastern Australia Turns Green
As the 2019–2020 summer brought record heat to Australia, New South Wales appeared to be heading into its third year of severe drought. From January…
NASA Satellite Watches as Bush Fire Scorches Land Near Phoenix
On the afternoon of June 13, 2020, a vehicle fire near the intersection of Bush Highway and State Route 87 ignited the brush and grass…
Tropical Storm Cristobal Drenches Central America
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is off to a busy start. By the first week of June, Tropical Storm Arthur had already brushed North Carolina,…
“Wedge Failure” Landslide in Alaska
After a cold winter, a shift in weather patterns has unleashed a blast of early summer heat across Alaska. On May 9, 2020, temperatures hit…
NO2 Levels Rebound in China – Pollution Seen From Space Clear Sign Major Lockdowns Over
In early February 2020, scientists using NASA and European satellites detected a significant reduction in a key air pollutant over China after the country shut…
Muddy Flooding After Catastrophic Dam Failures in Michigan Seen From Space
On May 17, 2020, heavy rain began pouring over the Tri-Cities region of central Michigan and, after two days, it provoked significant flooding in Midland…
Scientists Concerned As Denman Glacier Retreats Both Above and Below the Water Line
Using a combination of satellite sensors, scientists recently found that Denman Glacier has been retreating both above and below the water line. That one glacier…
The Science of Coronavirus: NASA Racing to Understand
“As you take this constant drumbeat of new information and research in, remember that this virus is new to science and people have only just…
A New Lake — Water Not Lava — On Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
Between 2010 and 2018, a large lava lake bubbled and spattered within Kilauea’s summit caldera. Then in May 2018, as part of a broader eruption…
NASA Scientists Collect Moon-Like Rocks From Site in Montana
Mines across the United States churn out all kinds of minerals, from potash to iron to gold. But the ground around a mine in southern…
NASA Satellites Spot Several Wildfires Near Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
In early April 2020, satellites observed several wildfires in northern Ukraine around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Hundreds of firefighters and at least eight airborne units were working…
Shocking Disappearance of Ecuador’s Tallest Waterfall
Surrounded by lush vegetation and rare butterflies, the San Rafael Waterfall was one of the most captivating landscapes in Ecuador. With water dropping 150 meters…