On December 18, 2018, the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite detected the aftermath of an explosion of a fireball (a very bright meteor) 16 miles (26 kilometers) over the Bering Sea.
satellite imagery
Geography 101
The First Color Images of the Earth from Space
The first color photographs of the full-disk view of the Earth were taken in 1967
Physical Geography
Map of Cold and Hot Temperature Anomalies Across the World
NASA has compiled a temperature anomaly map of the world using data acquired between December 26, 2017 and January 2, 2018.
Physical Geography
Tracking Penguin Colonies Through Their Droppings
Researchers are using Landsat 7 satellite imagery on Antarctica’s penguin population and estimating their numbers based on the large guano stains left behind.
Physical Geography
Hurricane Ophelia is the Strongest Hurricane to Form East of the United States
On Saturday, October 15, 2017, Hurricane Ophelia strengthened to Category 3 status making it the first recorded eastern hurricane to be this strong.
Physical Geography
Tracking Hurricane Harvey with Satellites
Several satellites have been tracking and measuring the intensity of Hurricane Harvey.
Physical Geography
Coral Bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef has undergone two severe bleaching events in successive years. This has been caused by the warming of the oceans due to climate change.
Physical Geography
How This Remote Island Inhabited by Polar Bears Became Known as Landsat Island
Discovered in 1976 in imagery captured by Landsat 1, Landsat Island (60° 10′ 37″N, 64° 02′ 30″W) is solely populated by polar bears.
Maps and GIS
View the Human Footprint on this Rotating Globe
View the global human footprint map developed from 180,000 satellite images.
Geography Quizzes
Geo Quiz: Name the Human Activity Visible from Space
This geography quiz features ten satellite images each showing an anthropogenic activity. Can you figure out what the human activity shown on each image is?
Geography Fun
Match Scribbles to Features on the Earth
Land Lines is an experimental online tool that matches drawn gestures on the screen with landforms extracted from satellite imagery.
Human Geography
Swipe Through Satellite Data to Help Map Vulnerable Populations
MapSwipe and its team of digital volunteers utilize the abundance of smart phone technology to gather more information on natural disasters and the impact they have on people, cities, and countries around the world.