NASA Picturing Earth: Behind the Scenes [Video]
From their perch on the International Space Station, astronauts have spent twenty years sharing a story about Earth as they can see it from above….
Earth Observatory News
Juneteenth in Galveston – General Order No. 3 by Union Troops Marked the Official End of Slavery in the U.S.
The issuing of General Order No. 3 by Union troops on June 19, 1865, marked the official end of slavery in Texas and the U.S….
Records Fall in Extreme Early Summer Heatwave
Extreme heat has descended on the southwestern United States, with several states enduring temperatures near and above record highs for June. Extreme heat has descended…
Remarkable Heatwave Scorches the Middle East – “Heat Dome” Phenomenon
A phenomenon known as a “heat dome” set the stage for remarkably high temperatures as meteorological summer got under way. With meteorological summer just underway, some parts…
Long-Term Drought Grips the Western U.S. – Soils and Plants Are Parched
For the second year in a row, drought has overtaken much of the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. For the…
Popigai: Russia’s Crater of Diamonds – Estimated To Contain “Trillions of Carats”
Popigai is one of the largest and most well-preserved impact craters on Earth. About 36 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into northern Siberia and…
Arizona’s Meteor Crater – Scientific Insights From “Young” and Well-Preserved Crater
The “young” and well-preserved crater helps scientists understand cratering processes on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system. Most asteroids that survive an encounter with…
The Charlotte Whale: Unexpected Discovery of a Whale Skeleton Hundreds of Miles From the Sea
The unexpected discovery of a whale skeleton hundreds of miles from the sea and more than 200 feet above sea level in 1849 is a…
NASA Satellite Captures Stunning Mid-Atlantic Phytoplankton Bloom
A May phytoplankton bloom left its mark on Mid-Atlantic waters. Given adequate sunlight and nutrients, phytoplankton populations can multiply into blooms large enough to be…
Tauktae: An Unusually Powerful Tropical Cyclone Strikes India
Tropical cyclones are scarce in the Arabian Sea, but unusually warm ocean temperatures helped fuel this storm. An unusually powerful tropical cyclone named Tauktae struck…
Tournament Earth 2021: See the Winning Astronaut Photograph
You helped NASA Earth Observatory choose 32 competitors, and now you have chosen a champion. More than 930,000 votes were cast in five rounds, and…
Early Tropical Storm in the Eastern Pacific Sets a New Record
Tropical Storm Andres became the earliest named storm on record for the basin. The first tropical storm of 2021 in the Western Hemisphere may not…
Hingol National Park – One of the Natural Wonders of Pakistan
With its rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches, Hingol National Park is one of the natural wonders of Pakistan. With its rocky terrain, mountain…
Dwindling Water Sources in Mexico: Nearly 85 Percent of the Country Is Experiencing Drought
Nearly 85 percent of Mexico is experiencing drought, and water sources are dwindling. Mexico is experiencing one of its most widespread and intense droughts in…
Compelling Patterns in Bothnian Bay Before the Breakup
Before it is wiped away by spring melting, sea ice in the northern Baltic Sea displays some compelling patterns. Unlike the sea ice that caps…
Wildfires and Smoke Cause “Black Sky” in Siberia
Numerous fires have filled skies with smoke, causing air quality issues in Omsk. Russian emergency services have reported an abnormally high number of fires in…
Sounding the Seafloor With Light: Mapping the Shallows With Freely Available Satellite Data
Researchers work to map shallow waters with freely available data and cloud computing. The shallow waters around islands and continental coastlines are important for human…
Astronaut Shoots Stunning Photo From ISS: A Clear Day Over San Francisco Bay
The Bay Area has several famous landmarks that stand out from the Space Station. The winter months in the San Francisco Bay area offer a…
