This striking image from the International Space Station captures the beauty and power of nature in motion. A panoramic, oblique view of eastern Argentina and its coastline shows a large plume of dust swirling outward from the interior to the Atlantic Ocean.
When observed from space, the layers of Earth's atmosphere remind us of the fragility of the cocoon that shelters life on our planet. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured a bit of both in this digital photograph acquired July 31, 2011, with the moon thrown in as an extra gift.
On Nov. 6, 2011, after more than a year of relative peace, the Nyamuragira volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo surged to life. Lava erupted spectacularly from a fissure low on one of the volcano’s flanks and spilled northward, away from populated areas. This NASA EO-1 image shows billowing, blue-tinged steam clouds rising above the superheated fissure and lava-bathed landscape.
A nation long synonymous with big oil, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the land of the tallest skyscrapers, largest Starbucks and world's only artificial archipelago. UAE and surrounding nations are expected to spend an additional staggering $600 billion on construction projects by 2015. Nowhere is such growth more evident than the city of Dubai. This short video comprises WorldView-2 and QuickBird time-series satellite imagery to chronicle Dubai's remarkable transformation.
In late October 2011, the North Sea sported meandering bands comprising multiple shades of green off the coasts of Denmark and Germany. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image of the region on Oct. 23, 2011.
The sight of shafts of light streaming down from the heavens through a layer of clouds has inspired centuries of artists, scientists and philosophers. Atmospheric scientists describe this phenomenon with the term crepuscular rays, referring to the typical sunrise or sunset observation times. Enjoy this unique perspective from the International Space Station!
The creative minds of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station are always on the alert for a great photograph of Earth, and this one doesn't disappoint. This night image of the Midwestern United States has it all”city and suburban lights below, the green glow of the aurora borealis above. You can even see lightning from an East Coast storm!
It is up to 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide and one mile (1.6 km) deep, stretching 277 river miles (446 km). It is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Now, thanks to a joint American and Japanese science team, we have a new perspective on the Grand Canyon and many other topographic features of the planet.
Southwestern Alaska's Yukon Delta spreads out in a vast tundra plain, where the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers meander toward the Bering Sea. Resembling a delicate pattern of branching and overlapping blood vessels, the delta's complex system of rivers and streams flow through circuitous channels toward the sea, passing and feeding a multitude of coastal ponds and lakes.
Smoke from agricultural fires likely combined with urban and industrial air pollution to form a giant cloud of haze thick enough to obscure the coastline from view. China's rapid economic growth carries a significant environmental price tag. The World Bank estimates China's cost of water and air pollution is about 5.8 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product.
