About Us

Earth Sciences and Image Analysis at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center supports the Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs by:

• training the astronauts in Earth observations
• communicating with on-orbit astronauts about weather and other Earth processes during missions
• cataloging and archiving the photographs that astronauts--past, present, and future--take using hand-held cameras

Our database, the "Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth" records the location and a description of over 600,000 astronaut photographs of Earth from the beginning of NASA space flight. Some of the features documented in these photographs include:

• volcanic eruptions
• transatlantic duststorms
• continental-scale smoke palls
• deforestation grids in the rain forests of Brazil
• the bleeding of Madagascar's red soil out the Betsiboka Estuary
• dramatic changes in the areal extent of the world's great river deltas
• plankton blooms tens of miles long
• sea level changes in the Caspian and Aral Seas
• human modification of the coastal zone
• coral reefs
• the effects of El Ninos--from droughts in Australia to floods in California
• training the astronauts in Earth observations
• communicating with on-orbit astronauts about weather and other Earth processes during missions
• cataloging and archiving the photographs that astronauts--past, present, and future--take using hand-held cameras

At NASA, Earth Sciences include all the Earth-related processes that are of interest to scientists, from Geology to Ecology and Atmospheric Science.

These records and photographs allow the user to retrieve vital information on the status and "health" of our home planet. These images not only enlarge our scientific knowledge of Earth processes but also enhance the understanding of students of Earth science--from kindergarten to graduate school.

The data records and captions contained in these World Wide Web pages are for information purposes only and do not constitute official NASA positions or statements. As new information becomes available, we will update and revise these records and captions. We encourage you to send us your feedback.

For feedback, or more information, email us at:

Image Sciences & Analysis Laboratory
Johnson Space Center
E-mail: jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov