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.
See more stunning pictures of Earth
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Twin hurricanes stare out to space as they barrel toward HawaiiEarth from space A 2016 satellite photo shows Hurricane Madeline and Hurricane Lester heading straight toward Hawaii's Big Island. When viewed from above, the twin cyclones and the surrounding clouds look eerily like a giant smiley face.
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'It makes me feel that we can do a lot about it': ESA official shares striking satellite snap of Europe's record-breaking summer heat wavesEarth from space The head of ESA's Earth observation program tells Live Science why a striking image of a recent heat wave scorching Southern Europe gives her hope that we can properly monitor — and eventually prevent — similar extreme weather events in the future.
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Multicolored 'mosaic' of mini farms surrounds Taiwan's largest river — Earth from spaceEarth from space A recent satellite photo shows a patchwork of tens of thousands of size-restricted farms tightly crammed into Taiwan's Yunlin County, which grows a majority of the island's food.
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Lost 'heart' of the Colorado River shines like a silver serpent in UtahEarth from space A 2016 astronaut photo mosaic highlights a "sunglint" phenomenon that transformed Lake Powell into a winding metallic "river." The artificial reservoir, which is the second largest in the country, is home to many visible and long-lost geological wonders.
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Towering 'sponge' dome in Brazil is the secret source of nearby hot springsEarth from space A 2025 satellite photo shows the Caldas Novas dome, a 12-mile-long monolith that towers above the Brazilian state of Goiás. The structure acts as a giant sponge, soaking up water that helps fuel nearby hot springs.
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A surprising slab of salt shines at the summit of the Sahara's tallest peakEarth from space A 2024 astronaut photo captured an unusual salt patch shining like snow on top of northern Chad's imposing Emi Koussi volcano, which is covered with ancient lava, hidden vents and shadowy waterways.
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Peculiar land bridge separates a pair of colorful lakes in PatagoniaEarth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows the unusual point where two contrastingly colored Patagonian lakes meet. The duo was originally a single body of water but was split by a narrow land bridge.
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25 years ago, a NASA astronaut captured this haunting photo of the 9/11 attacksEarth from space During the Sept. 11 attacks, NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson — the only American not on Earth at the time — snapped a "sobering" shot of smoke pouring across New York City as the second tower fell.
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Ghostly green lakes merge in Australian outback after 2 years of heavy rainEarth from space A 2024 satellite photo shows a series of ephemeral lakes that merged into a single emerald structure in Australia's Northern Territory following two years of extreme rainfall.
Earth from space
