Himalayas, Near and Far: Two Astronauts. Two Clear Days. Two Gorgeous Views.
Two astronauts. Two clear days. Two gorgeous views around the roof of the world. Astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) shot these photographs of…
Geography
Modern Oasis of Jubbah: A Long-Ago Lake Amid the Dunes
The modern oasis of Jubbah sits within the wind shadow of historic mountains and the basin of an ancient lakebed. Long-sustained westerly winds shaped the…
Exploring Earth From Space: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver, visible at the top of the image, lies between the Burrard Inlet, an arm of the Strait of Georgia, to the north, and the…
Ethiopia’s Forest in the Clouds: Unusual Plants and Wildlife Live in the Harenna Forest
A range of unusual plants and wildlife lives in the Harenna Forest, but they face pressure from development. There are few places in Ethiopia—or the…
A Deadly Torrent of Debris Flows From a Himalayan Mountain
The torrent of debris from a mountain in the Himalayas devastated remote valleys in Uttarakhand, India. Sheer, glacier-covered ridges separated by gorges soar over the…
From Russia With Questions: Distinctive Striping Pattern in Siberia Puzzles Researchers
Researchers are puzzling over a distinctive striping pattern in the Central Siberian Plateau. Earth science satellites are generally used to observe certain features of the…
The Red Comb: Namib Desert Bears Scar From Meteor Impact
In the vastness of one of the world’s oldest deserts lies a relatively recent geologic feature: the Roter Kamm crater (“Red Comb” in German). An…
Exploring Earth From Space: Valentine Island, Australia
For Valentine’s Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Valentine Island in northern Western Australia. The tiny Valentine Island, visible in the top-left of…
A Geologist’s Dream: A Short Journey to the Center of the Earth
A geologist’s dream, Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places where you can set foot on the Earth’s mantle without digging an…
Trading Surfboards for Snowboards: Storms Have Left Abundant Snow Atop Hawaii’s Tallest Volcanic Mountains
Three storms in three weeks have left abundant snow atop Hawaii’s tallest volcanic mountains. Snow is not as rare as you might think in the…
Gold Rush in the Peruvian Amazon Leads to Deforestation
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this photograph of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pits—usually hidden from an astronaut’s…
Exploring Earth From Space: Japan in Bloom [Video]
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the algal blooms swirling around the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Japan. Algae blooms refer to…
Pelican Island: America’s First National Wildlife Refuge
A bird-loving farmer living near Florida’s Pelican Island helped spur the creation of a national system of wildlife refuges. Elaborate feathered hats—sometimes festooned with whole…
Gold Mining in Russia’s Central Aldan Ore District Seen From Space
In places where concentrations of the precious metal have been discovered, mining operations are large enough to be seen from space. Gold has been found…
Exploring Earth From Space: Lake Titicaca [Video]
Ahead of World Wetlands Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Lake Titicaca – one of the largest lakes in South America. Covering an…
Exploring Earth From Space: Sardinia – The Second-Largest Island in the Mediterranean Sea
Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is featured in this false-color image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Sardinia (also known as Sardegna)…
From Automobiles to Armstrong: Cleveland’s Urban Layout Has Evolved As Time and Technology Have Advanced
Cleveland, Ohio, and its expansive suburbs stretch inland from Lake Erie in this slightly oblique photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station…
Changing Atlanta: Martin Luther King Jr. Came of Age in One of the Fastest Growing Cities in the United States
When Michael King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in a two-story house in Atlanta, the city had 715,000 residents. (His father changed his…