Satellite imagery provides a unique perspective on our planet and can encompass a wide range of different scientific disciplines including climate change, weather, volcanic eruptions and even animal behavior. Every week, we take a bird's eye view of Earth, and see how it affects the people living on it.
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Latest about Earth from space
Trio of 'black mesas' leftover from Paleozoic era spawn rare sand dunes in the Sahara
Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows three dark hills, or mesas, towering above part of the Sahara desert in southern Mauritania. The structures are remnants of a single Paleozoic era formation, and have helped to create a series of striking sand dunes.
Twin tornadoes tear perfectly parallel tracks through Mississippi during deadly 'superstorm'
Earth from space A satellite photo from March shows a pair of parallel tornado tracks in Mississippi, leftover from a deadly storm system that spawned over 100 twisters in more than a dozen U.S. states.
Extreme bloom of toxic algae swirls in Nevada's 'Pyramid Lake'
Earth from space A 2024 satellite photo shows an unusually active bloom of toxic cyanobacteria swirling in the water of Nevada's Pyramid Lake. Research suggests that the algae has been blooming there for at least 9,000 years.
Extreme 'paradise' volcano in Costa Rica is like a piece of ancient Mars on our doorstep
Earth from space A 2025 satellite photo captures the stark contrast between the barren Poás volcano and the surrounding Costa Rican jungle. The volcano's super-acidic lake provides the perfect analog for studying how hardy microbes may have emerged on Mars billions of years ago.
2-mile-tall, naked 'Marree Man' looming over Australian outback is a total mystery
Earth from space A 2019 satellite photo shows the recently resurrected "Marree Man" geoglyph, which mysteriously appeared in the Australian outback in 1998. Experts are still unsure who created it.
Glowering 'skull' stares upward from a giant volcanic pit in the Sahara
Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows off an unusual cranium-like structure appearing to stare up into space from the floor of a large volcanic caldera in Chad.
Pair of 'holy' islands in eerily green African lake hold centuries-old relics and mummified emperors
Earth from space A 2017 astronaut photo shows the islands of Dek and Daga lurking in the murky, algae-infested waters of Ethiopia's Lake Tana. Both islands are home to important monasteries, including the resting place of five mummified emperors.
Shapeshifting 'braided river' in Tibet is the highest in the world, and is becoming increasingly unstable
Earth from space A 2025 satellite photo shows a particularly complex section of the Yarlung Zangbo River as it twists its way through the Tibetan Plateau. This part of the "braided" waterway has experienced drastic visual changes over recent decades, which could soon be accentuated by climate change.
The whale-shaped island in Belize with a 'great blue blowhole'
Earth from space This 2020 astronaut photo shows the unusual cetacean-like shape of Belize's Lighthouse Reef. It's home to the famous Great Blue Hole, which doubles as the island's "blowhole" when viewed from space.
Sea of Saharan 'star dunes' clashes with otherworldly terrain where 2 countries meet
Earth from space A 2017 satellite photo shows the stark contrast along the boundary between a giant field of golden "star dunes" and a barren rocky wilderness in the Sahara, which overlaps with an international border.
