Earth Observation
Why are Earth’s Hemispheres the Same Brightness? New Research Solves a 50-year-old Mystery.
NASA’s Apollo program most notably explored the Moon. But it also helped us study the Earth as well, as it…
Light Pollution is Obscuring the Night Sky. RIP Stargazing
A citizen science initiative called Globe at Night has some sobering news for humanity. Our artificial light is drowning out…
NASA Satellites can Pinpoint the Exact Locations of Excessive CO2 Emissions
Using data from two climate monitoring satellites, a group led by Canadian researchers tracked carbon emissions from a single coal…
NOAA’s New Weather Satellite is Operational, and its Pictures of Earth are Gorgeous
You'd have to be in some kind of sense-of-wonder-repressed coma not to appreciate satellite images of Earth. If you are,…
Good News! The Ozone Hole is Continuing to Shrink
Most of us don't think about ozone as we go about our daily lives. Yet, this pale blue gas plays…
If Earth Were an Exoplanet, it Would Still be Tricky to Figure Out if There’s Life Here
How would Earth appear to alien astronomers? What would their observations tell them about Earth if they searched the heavens…
The Methane Released From the Damaged Nord Stream Pipeline is Visible From Space
On September 26, 2022, leaks were discovered in the underwater Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, located near Denmark…
Gaze Down Into the eye of Hurricane Ian, Seen From Orbit
NASA and NOAA satellites -- as well as astronauts on the ISS -- captured some stunning imagery of Hurricane Ian,…
Satellites are Tracking Rivers of Garbage Flowing Across the Oceans
There's an ocean of human-made garbage floating through Earth's seas. From plastic straws to beverage bottles and food wrappers, the…
A New Instrument is Going to the ISS to Study the Climate Impact of Dust in Earth’s Upper Atmosphere
People often seem surprised when they learn that NASA doesn't just look out to the other planets, stars, and galaxies.…