Resembling a giant star with one of its five arms missing, this nighttime astronaut photograph of Reno, Nev., stands out in stark contrast from the surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills.
Internal Waves”Deep, Complex and Often Dangerous
Moving tens of meters below the sea's surface off the northern coast of Trinidad, subtle sea arcs known as internal waves, visible here from the International Space Station, can make navigation hazardous, especially for smaller craft.
Japanese Volcano Once Was an Island
This Jan. 10, 2013, photograph acquired by astronauts on the International Space Station highlights Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes. Sakurajima began forming approximately 13,000 years ago. Prior to 1914, it was an island in Kagoshima Bay, but it was joined to the mainland by the deposition of volcanic material following a major eruption that year.
Ship Tracks Mingle with Natural Clouds
On Jan. 15, 2013, NASA's Aqua satellite captured a trail of serpentine cloud shapes snaking across the eastern Pacific Ocean. Some were natural clouds, while others were ship tracks”clouds seeded by particles in ship exhaust.
A River of Haze Hangs Over Northern India
A thick river of haze hovered over the Indo-Gangetic Plain in January 2013, casting a gray pall over northern India and Bangladesh. On Jan. 10, 2012, NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the haze hugging the Himalayas and spilling out into the Ganges delta and Bengal Sea.
Snow Blankets One of the World's Hottest Deserts
Snow-covered deserts are rare, but that's exactly what the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite observed as it passed over the Taklimakan Desert in western China on Jan. 2, 2013.
Nile at Night Forms Giant Flower Pattern
Nothing identifies the human population along the Nile River more clearly than the lights illuminating the river valley and delta at night. In this satellite image, the night lights resemble a giant calla lily, with just one kink in its long stem, at the great bend near the city of Luxor.
Ambrym's Lava Lakes Churn and Burn
From the ground, the lava lakes on Vanuatu's Ambrym volcano look something like J.R.R. Tolkien's Mount Doom. Roiling pools of lava glow a deep orange, spewing lava and seemingly endless plumes of steam and gas.
The Father Blows off Steam
A plume of white steam and ash extends from the summit crater of Ulawun on the island of New Britain, the largest in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Astronauts on the International Space Station observed the action on Nov. 30, 2012, while orbiting above the 7,657-foot stratovolcano.
Pléiades 1B Satellite Acquires First Images
Just days after its successful launch on Dec. 2, 2012, the advanced sensors on board the French Pléiades 1B Earth observation satellite are collecting some amazingly vivid Earth images.
