Recent Features
Planetary Motion: The History of an Idea That Launched the Scientific Revolution
July 7, 2009
Attempts of Renaissance astronomers to explain the puzzling path of planets across the night sky led to modern science’s understanding of gravity and motion.
World of Change: Burn Recovery in Yellowstone
June 30, 2009
In 1988, wildfires raced through Yellowstone National Park, consuming hundreds of thousands of acres. This series of Landsat images tracks the landscape’s slow recovery through 2008.
World of Change: Global Biosphere
June 5, 2009
Earth would not be the planet that it is without its biosphere, the sum of its life. This series of images illustrates the variations in the average productivity of the global biosphere from 1999 to 2008.
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From the Archives
- Polar Wind Data Blow New Life Into Forecasts
January 11, 2005
Where real-world weather observations are scarce, scientists are estimating winds by tracking the movement of clouds and water vapor between consecutive Terra and Aqua satellite images. In a new Earthsky podcast, atmospheric scientist Jeff Key talks about how the technique has improved forecasts and what will happen when these NASA missions reach their end.
- Showdown in the Rio Grande
July 22, 2002
ASTER satellite images have been used to find and track infestations of water hyacinths in the Rio Grande in Texas, as well as to monitor the success of plant eradication techniques.
- Why EOS Matters
December 17, 1999
Nearly a decade ago, ecologist Steve Running described how NASA’s Earth Observing System missions were going to help us answer this crucial question: Is the current human occupancy and activity of planet Earth sustainable?
Most Popular
- Cities at Night: The View from Space
April 22, 2008
Astronauts onboard the International Space Station capture nighttime photographs of city lights, spectacular evidence of humanity's existence, our distribution, and our ability to change our environment.
- Global Warming
May 21, 2007
Global warming is happening now, and scientists are very confident that greenhouse gases are responsible. This article explains what global warming is, how scientists know it's happening, and how they predict future climate.
- Tropical Deforestation
March 30, 2007
Tropical forests are home to half the Earth's species, and their trees are an immense standing reservoir of carbon. Deforestation will have increasingly serious consequences for biodiversity, humans, and climate.
- Hurricanes: The Greatest Storms on Earth
November 1, 2006
Few things in nature can compare to the destructive force of a hurricane. Called the greatest storm on Earth, a hurricane is capable of annihilating coastal areas with sustained winds of 155 mph or higher and intense areas of rainfall and a storm surge. In fact, during its life cycle a hurricane can expend as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs!
- How on Earth was this Image Made?
March 25, 2003
Remotely sensed Earth observations can include everything from sonar measurements used to map the topography of the ocean floor to satellite-based observations of city lights. Combining observations collected by a variety of instruments at different times and places allow scientists to create an otherwise impossible view of the Earth, showing underwater mountain ranges, cloud-free skies, and city lights that are brighter than daylight. Such visualizations are invaluable for interpreting complex data and communicating scientific concepts.