Earth Observations from Space

Diverse images illustrating Earth's horizon and atmospheric layers captured from space, highlighting clouds, limb views, and sunsets.

July 28, 2005 - Earth's limb at sunset as photographed by one of the STS-114 crewmembers through a window on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Beneath the limb, a blue and white Earth is visible.

S62-06020 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight.

S114-E-5496 (28 July 2005) --- Earths limb at sunset as photographed by one of the STS-114 crewmembers through a window on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Beneath the limb, a blue and white Earth is visible.

July 28, 2005 - Earth's limb at sunset as photographed by one of the STS-114 crewmembers through a window on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Beneath the limb, a blue and white Earth is visible.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34 crewmember.

The International Space Station orbits into a dawn 261 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California.

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View of Hurricane Edouard. Photo was taken during Expedition 41.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Tanzania Kenya.

S99-E-5555 (17 February 2000) --- As photographed from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, this oblique electronic still image of Earth's horizon reveals a great deal of cloud cover. In the case of the electronic still camera (ESC), as well as film-bearing instruments, clouds naturally obscure views of recognizable land masses. Much of Earth is heavily cloud covered during the current mission and meteorlogists and oceanographers are interested in studying that aspect. However, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission's other sensing equipment, X-SAR and C-band antennae, are able to penetrate cloud cover and record important topographic data for mapmakersand scientists of other disciplines. In addition to the sensing equipmentmentioned above, this mission is supporting the EarthKAM project which utilizes the services of another electronic still camera mounted in Endeavour's windows. Unlike this oblique view, EarthKAM records strictly vertical or nadir imagery of points all over the world.

Earth observations taken by Expedition 38 crewmember. Earth limb is visible. Image was released by astronaut on Twitter.

Image shot over northwestern part of the African continent captures the curvature of the Earth and shows its atmosphere. taken from the Space Shuttle on September 04, 1997.

Earth observation taken during a night pass by an Expedition 36 crew member on board the International Space Station (ISS). Per Twitter message Day turns to night at the terminator.

The year 2014 now ranks as the warmest on record since 1880, according to an analysis by NASA scientists. Nine of the 10 warmest years since modern records began have now occurred since 2000, according to a global temperature analysis by scientists at NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York. 2014s record-breaking warmth continues a long-term trend of a warming climate. The global average temperature has increased about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) since 1880, with most of that warming occurring during the last three to four decades. The warming trend is largely driven by the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused by human emissions. Read more a href= http //1.usa.gov/1znaGfS rel= nofollow 1.usa.gov/1znaGfS /a b a href= http //www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html rel= nofollow NASA image use policy. /a /b b a href= http //www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/i

ISS007-E-07304 (13 June 2003) --- This view of Earths horizon was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS), using a wide-angle lens while the Station was over the Pacific Ocean. In the foreground are the atolls of Tabiteuea and Onotoa.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Clouds over South Pacific.

iss059e101100 (June 11, 2019) --- The International Space Station was flying into an orbital sunset 259 miles above the Pacific Ocean passing 450 miles off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California.

The cloudy, southeast coast of Australia is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above Adelaide, New South Wales.

. iss068e007201 (Oct. 2, 2022) --- The First Quarter Moon is pictured above the Earth's horizon as the International Space Station orbited 268 miles above the Indian Ocean south of Australia.

An illustration of a nice deep space planet background

S125-E-005175 (12 May 2009) --- Among the first group of still images downlinked by the STS-125 crewmembers onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis was this high oblique scene looking toward the Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea. Saudi Arabia is in the foreground and Egypts Nile River and its delta can be seen (left) toward the horizon. Israel and Jordan can be seen near the top edge of the frame. The Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba (near frame center) extend from the Red Sea toward the Mediterranean Sea.

. PREFIRE Satellite Illustration. The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission will send two CubeSats - shown as an artist's concept against an image of Earth from orbit - into space to study how much heat the planet absorbs and emits from its polar regions, including the Arctic and Antarctica. Analysis of PREFIRE measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise. Improving climate models can ultimately help to provide more accurate projections on the impacts of storm severity and frequency, as well as coastal erosion and flooding. The mission consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months and is jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages the mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate and is providing the instruments. Blue Can

planet An illustration of a nice deep space planet background Copyright: xZoonar.com/magannx 1260893

High altitude photo of Earth

iss063e046732 (July 14, 2020) --- The sun's glint beams on the South Pacific Ocean as the International Space Station orbited just off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand.

ISS007-E-09986 (11 July 2003) --- This view of Earths horizon was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS) while the Station was in orbit over Dodge City, Kansas. In the lower right is the Great Salt Lake. At the left side in the distance are the Sierra Nevada Mountains with elevations between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, and coastal California.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Tropical Storm Arthur.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Tripoli then Athens.

S66-54548 (12-15 Sept. 1966) --- This photograph, taken during one of the 44 orbits the Gemini-11 crew made around Earth, shows the Indian Ocean west of Australia looking northwest. The crew consisted of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Richard F. Gordon Jr.

S62-06009 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight.

Southeast Asia at night from space

A satellite firing an energy weapon at a target on Earth.

Hurricane Gordon From Space

S63-06428 (15-16 May 1963) --- Photograph taken south of Hawaii near 12N. 166W, by astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr., during his 22-orbit Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) spaceflight.

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3D Illustration of the Earth Atmosphere

ISS028-E-018218 (21 July 2011) --- This unprecedented view of the space shuttle Atlantis, appearing like a bean sprout against clouds and city lights, on its way home, was photographed by the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station. Airglow over Earth can be seen in the background.

STS082-723-071 (11-21 Feb. 1997) --- The island of Hispaniola appears left center in this wide-angle view, photographed with a 70mm handheld camera from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery. The prominent cape is Cap-a-Foux, the northwest point of Haiti. The cloud is broken by the mountainous spine of the island. Smoke from bush fires appears in the valleys between the ridges. The coppery tinge of light reflected off the sea surface indicates pollution in the air -- probably industrial pollutants from North America which are typically fed around from the Atlantic seaboard into the Caribbean from the east.

Earth observation taken during a night pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Beijing wide angle.

. iss068e025187 (Nov. 27, 2022) --- The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, loaded with over 7,700 pounds of science, supplies, and cargo, approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 259 miles above the African continent.

STS099-723-054 (11-22 February 2000) ---A wide-sweeping occlusion in the South Pacific Ocean caught the eye of one of the STS-99 crew members during the 11-day SRTM mission. The astronaut used a 70mm handheld camera to record the oblique scene.

ISS009-E-21116 (1 Sept. 2004) -- Astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) at an altitude of about 230 miles, took this photo of Hurricane Frances early Sept. 1. Part of the large system is obscured by the portal. The Guantanimo Bay area of Cuba appears near frame's edge and part of Hispaniola is pictured near frame center. Sunglint alters the natural colors in this scene.

The International Space Station flies into an orbital sunrise 261 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of northwestern Spain.

iss055e001066 (March 5, 2018) -- Baja California and the northwestern coast of Mexico are pictured with Russian spacecraft solar arrays in the foreground. The International Space Station was orbiting above the Mexican state of Sinaloa at the time this photograph was taken.

The southern tip of Baja California and the western coast of Mexico are pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean.

S131-E-006087 (6 April 2010) --- Earths horizon and the blackness of space are featured in this image photographed by an STS-131 crew member on the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Discovery.

Digitally manipulated image of the Arabian Peninsula from space

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34 crewmember.

41G-121-189 (5-13 Oct 1984) --- The Kalihari Desert is visible in the foreground of this photograph covering three African nations. The desert is a classic red to orange-red, with small depressions and salt encrustation's which appear as lakes. Visible are Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas. The crew consisted of astronauts Robert L. Crippen, commander; Jon A. McBride, pilot; mission specialist's Kathryn D. Sullivan, Sally K. Ride, and David D. Leestma; Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau; and Paul D. Scully-Power, payload specialist.EDITOR'S NOTE: The STS-41G mission had the first American female EVA (Sullivan); first seven-person crew; first orbital fuel transfer; and the first Canadian (Garneau).

ISS036-E-012464 (26 June 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station captured this image of a waning gibbous moon from a point 225 miles above a position on Earth located near the Equator and the Atlantic coast of northern Africa.

A camera in the window of NASA's Orion spacecraft looks back at Earth during its unpiloted flight test in orbit on Dec. 5, 2014 Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

iss063e080437 (Aug. 26, 2020) --- The International Space Station was orbiting above North America when an Expedition 63 crew member, looking from northeast to southwest, photographed the Rocky Mountains running from Canada and into the United States.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as misc clouds.

iss060e013819 (July 21, 2019) --- A portion of the International Space Station's main solar arrays drape the foreground as the orbiting lab flew 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean west of Peru.

Apollo 7,Cumulus,alto-cumulus,cirrus clouds. Very high oblique. Cloud Cover 50%. Original film magazine was labeled S. Camera Data: Hasselblad 500-C; Lens: Zeiss Planar,F/2.8,80mm; Film Type: Kodak SO-121,Aerial Ektachrome; Filter: Wratten 2A. Flight Date: October 11-12. 1968.

ISS009-E-21112 (1 Sept. 2004) -- Astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, aboard the International Space Station at an altitude of about 230 miles, took this photo of Hurricane Frances early Sept. 1 as the storm was centered about 800 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida. The sunglint factor effects the color of the water in this series of images.

Illustration of the Earth from space

Vintage Photograph. ASTRONAUT ED WHITE SPACEWALK GEMINI IV. Satellite orbiting earth against the vast expanse of space

S116-E-06081 (13 Dec. 2006) -- Backdropped against a colorful part of Earth, Progress 23 supply vehicle docked to the Zvezda Service Module's aft port of International Space Station, is featured in this image photographed by a STS-116 crewmember while Space Shuttle Discovery was docked with the station. Shark Bay, Australia is visible at lower right.

ISS043E194350 (05/15/2015) --- NASA astronaut Scott Kelly on the International Space Station tweeted this image out of an Earth observation image as part of his Space Geo trivia contest. Scott tweeted this comment and clue: "#SpaceGeo Four international borders in one photo from the International @Space_Station. Name them"!Two winners! Congrats to @TeacherWithTuba & @PC101!. The correct answer is :#SpaceGeo A: #Denmark #Norway #Sweden #Germany & #Poland. The winners will receive an autographed copy of this image when Scott returns to Earth in March 2016.Learn more about #SpaceGeo and play along every Wednesday for your chance to win: www.nasa.gov/feature/where-over-the-world-is-astronaut-sc...

ISS040-E-088891 (5 Aug. 2014) --- Thunderheads near Borneo, Indonesia are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 40 crew member on the International Space Station. Late afternoon sun casts long shadows from high thunderhead anvils over southern Borneo. Crews aboard the space station have recently concentrated on panoramic views of cloudstaken with lenses similar to the focal length of the human eye. These images reveal the kinds of views crews see -- huge areas of the planet, with a strong three-dimensional sense of what it is like to fly 350 kilometers above Earth. Winds usually blow in different directions at different altitudes. High-altitude winds are clearly sweeping the tops off the many tallest thunderclouds, generating long anvils of diffuse cirrus plumes that trail south. At low levels, streets of white dots -- fair-weather cumulus clouds -- are aligned with west-moving winds (lower left). Small smoke plumes from forest fires onshore are also aligned west. St

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S66-54571 (14 Sept. 1966) --- A 100-foot tether line connects the Agena Target Docking Vehicle with the Gemini-11 spacecraft during its 32nd revolution of Earth.

iss053e315812 (Dec. 5, 2017) --- Expedition 53 astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this photo of the California wildfires in the Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2017.

This long-duration photograph was taken from the International Space Station at an altitude of 259 miles above the island nation of Vanuatua northeast of Australia. The Milky Way is pictured above Earth's atmospheric glow blanketing the planet's horizon.

iss059e034778 (April 23, 2019) --- This view of the eastern coast of the United States looks from (bottom left to right center) Virginia Beach, Virginia, all the way to Miami, Florida. The International Space Station was orbiting 256 miles above North America about to cross the Atlantic Ocean when an Expedition 59 crew member took this photograph.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists items in this group as Chile Atacama Bolivia Andes and active volcano.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Sahara Sand over the Atlantic.

This view of southern California as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft during its 18th revolution of the earth. Photographed from an altitude of 124 nautical miles. The coast of California can be seen from Point Mugu southward to Oceanside. Santa Catalina can be seen below the off shore clouds. Details of the Los Angeles area are obscured by pollution which extends from Banning westard for 100 miles to beyond Malibu. In the upper portion of the photograph can be seen (left to right) the San Joaquin Valley beyond Bakersfield, the Techachapi Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley, Death Valley and the Mojave Desert.

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ISS009-E-21115 (1 Sept. 2004) -- Astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) at an altitude of about 230 miles, took this photo of Hurricane Frances early Sept. 1 as the storm was centered about 800 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Sunset over planet earth from space

STS064-116-064 (20 Sept. 1994) --- Near the end of the mission, the crew aboard space shuttle Discovery was able to document the beginning of the second day of activity of the Rabaul volcano, on the east end of New Britain. On the morning of Sept. 19, 1994, two volcanic cones on the opposite sides of the 6-kilometer sea crater had begun to erupt with very little warning. Discovery flew just east of the eruption roughly 24 hours after it started and near the peak of its activity. New Ireland, the cloud-covered area in the foreground, lies just east of Rabaul harbor. The eruption, which sent a plume up to over 60,000 feet into the atmosphere, caused over 50,000 people to evacuate the area. Because winds were light at the time of the eruption, most of the ash was deposited in a region within 20 kilometers of the eruption zone. This photo shows the large white billowing eruption plume is carried in a westerly direction by the weak prevailing winds. At the base of the eruption column is a l

Overexposed earth observations taken during the NASA/Mir 21 mission from the Russian space station Mir by astronaut Shannon Lucid.

STS111-E-5132 (9 June 2002) --- Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, STS-111 mission specialist, anchored to the foot restraint at the end of the International Space Stations (ISS) Canadarm2, participates in the first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) for the STS-111 mission. During the spacewalk, Chang-Diaz and Perrin attached a Power and Data Grapple Fixture onto the International Space Stations (ISS) P6 Truss, setting the stage for the future relocation of the P6. The next major task was to remove Service Module Debris Panels from Space Shuttle Endeavours payload bay and attach them to their temporary location on Pressurized Mating Adapter 1 (PMA-1). The spacewalkers also removed thermal blankets to prepare the Mobile Base System (MBS) for installation onto the stations Mobile Transporter (MT).

ISS043E193686 (05/14/2015) --- NASA astronaut Terry Virts commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station tweeted this night Earth observation with the comment: "This reddish brownish layer of our atmosphere is facinating- it's made of O and OH and is only seen in certain areas".

STS054-151-015 (13-19 Jan 1993) --- The Makgadikgadi Salt Pan is one of the largest features in Botswana visible from space. Any water that spills out of the Okavango Swamplands flows down to the Makgadikgadi where it evaporates. An ancient beach line can be seen as a smooth line around the west (left) side of the Pan. Orapa diamond mine can be detected due south of the pan as a small rectangle. The large geological feature known as the Great Dike of Zimbabwe can be seen far right. This large panorama shows clouds in southern Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the distance.

iss062e096440 (March 15, 2020) --- The International Space Station was orbiting 271 miles above Tasmania when this photograph was taken of the southeastern coast of Australia. Landmarks in this picture include the cities of Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay (lower center) and Adelaide on St. Vincent Gulf (at top).

ISS019-E-015230 (6 May 2009) --- Earths horizon against the blackness of space is featured in this image, photographed by an Expedition 19 crewmember on the International Space Station.

ISS035-E-013379 (1 April 2013) --- The sun is about to set in this scene showing parts of southwestern Australia, which was photographed by one of the Expedition 35 crew members aboard the International Space Station on April 1, 2013. Several of the orbital outpost's solar array panels are seen in the foreground.

iss059e019924 (April 11, 2019) --- 261 miles above Earth and off the coast of the Australian cities of Gold Coast and Brisbane, an Expedition 59 crew member photographed the cloud-covered Tasman and Coral Seas. A portion of the International Space Station's solar arrays drape over the Earth as the orbital lab passes over the terminator, the line that separates night from day.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

S128-E-010157 (9 Sept. 2009) --- The thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the setting sun are featured in this image photographed by an STS-128 crew member on the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery.

ISS040-E-063578 (15 July 2014) --- One of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, flying some 225 nautical miles above the Caribbean Sea in the early morning hours of July 15, photographed this north-looking panorama that includes parts of Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida, and even runs into several other areas in the southeastern U.S.The long stretch of lights to the left of center frame gives the shape of Miami.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34 crewmember.

. iss068e007324 (Oct. 2, 2022) --- The first quarter Moon is pictured setting below Earth's horizon as the International Space Station orbited 267 miles above the Indian Ocean west of Australia's island state of Tasmania. Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

ISS009-E-18365 (14 August 2004) --- Backdropped against the blackness of space and airglow of Earths horizon, an unpiloted Progress supply vehicle approaches the International Space Station (ISS). The Progress 15 resupply craft launched at 12:03 a.m. (CDT) on August 11, 2004 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to deliver almost three tons of food, fuel, oxygen, water and supplies to the Expedition 9 crewmembers onboard the Station. Progress docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 12:01 a.m. (CDT) on August 14 as the two craft flew 225 statute miles over central Asia.

STS-35 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, is of the Persian Gulf area. Major cities and oilfields of the countries of Saudi Arabia (foreground), Iraq (top left), Iran (top center and top right), Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and a portion of the United Arab Emirates are visible in this scene. The cities are the large whitish areas of city lights. Flares characteristic of the Mid-East oil field practices are visible both onshore and offshore throughout the scene. Major cities identifiable are in Iraq - Baghdad, Basra, and Faw; in Qatar - Ab Dawhah; in Kuwait - Kuwait City; in Saudi Arabia - Riyadh, Al Jubayl, Dharan, Al Huf, Ad Dilam and Al Hariq; and Bahrain and its associated causeway to the mainland.

The sun's glint beams off the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Angola as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above.

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S127-E-012934 (30 July 2009) --- Backdropped by Earths horizon and the blackness of space, a Department of Defense pico-satellite known as Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment 2 (ANDE-2) is photographed after its release from Space Shuttle Endeavour's payload bay by STS-127 crew members. ANDE-2 consists of two spherical micro-satellites which will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth orbit (LEO) atmosphere while being tracked from the ground. The data will be used to better predict the movement of objects in orbit.

Earth observation (Mediterranean Sea) taken by the Expedition 45 crew. ISS solar array wings (SAWs) are in view. Image was released by astronaut on social media.

Lunar observation taken during moonrise by Expedition 34 crewmember.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Maryland under some T-storms.

(27 June-4July 1982) --- Sunglint reflects off the water of the North Atlantic Ocean in an area to the east of the Bahamas Islands sometimes called the Sargasso Sea.

Earth Observation taken during a night pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as Couple night shots approaching Florida.

ISS028-E-016058 (12 July 2011) --- One of the Expedition 28 crewmembers aboard the International Space Center recorded this image of Earth's horizon and the moon during the week and a half period that the orbiting complex was hosting the Atlantis and its crew for the final Space Shuttle Program mission.

ISS036-E-009719 (19 June 2013) --- Photographed by one of the Expedition 36 crew members, a node on the International Space Station is backdropped by a scene over the Gulf of Mexico near the Texas-Mexico border.

S133-E-006253 (25 Feb. 2011) --- Layers of Earth's atmosphere, brightly colored as the sun rises, are featured in this image photographed by an STS-133 crew member on the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

iss061e061245 (Nov. 26, 2019) --- The International Space Station orbits 255 miles above the Atlantic Ocean looking southwest over Cuba as the Sun's glint beams off the Caribbean Sea.

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