NASA Earth Observatory -

Swift thinking buys NASA observatory a little more time before re-entry

NASA is building a new space telescope to search for life on nearby planets. What would it see on ancient Earth?

NASA is building a new space telescope to search for life on nearby planets. What would it see on ancient Earth? A new study analyzed how NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory might be able to confidently spot biosignatures in the atmosphere of a distant ancient Earth.

Typhoon Jangmi’s giant eye lights up the night as it approaches Japan

Typhoon Jangmi’s giant eye lights up the night as it approaches Japan - Date: - June 3, 2026 - Source: - NASA Earth Observatory - Summary: - Typhoon Jangmi powered toward southern Japan with heavy rain, strong winds, and a striking appearance from space. Nighttime satellite images revealed a large eye and intricate swirling structures within the storm.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku triggered atmospheric gravity waves visible from space

Super Typhoon Sinlaku triggered atmospheric gravity waves visible from space A record-early super typhoon sent giant atmospheric ripples into near-space, offering scientists a new clue for tracking powerful storms. - Date: - June 3, 2026 - Source: - NASA Earth Observatory - Summary: - One of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded this early in the Pacific season did more than unleash flooding and extreme winds—it sent enormous ripples all the way into the upper atmosphere.

NASA is hatching a 'fast-paced plan' to boost this space telescope. But first, they'll have to find it

Artist's illustration of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory orbiting Earth.

Wind from Milky Way's supermassive black hole is finally discovered

Wind from Milky Way's supermassive black hole is finally discovered WASHINGTON, June 5 : After five decades of trying, astronomers have finally discovered the wind emanating from the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, though it turns out it is more of a gentle breeze than a hurricane. Using data from the Chile-based ALMA telescope and NASA's orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, the researchers viewed the cosmic neighborhood around the black hole - called...

Rusty, orange water 'bleeds' across brilliant Bolivian lagoon — Earth from space

Rusty, orange water 'bleeds' across brilliant Bolivian lagoon — Earth from space A 2015 astronaut photo shows dark-orange water that appears to bleed across the bright-white floor of a high-altitude salt lake in the Bolivian Andes. QUICK FACTS Where is it? Laguna Colorada, Altiplano, Bolivia

Trio of drastically different US lakes straddles the border between states — Earth from space

Trio of drastically different US lakes straddles the border between states — Earth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows three uniquely colored lakes — Tahoe, Walker and Mono — straddling contrasting biomes on either side of the California-Nevada border. QUICK FACTS Where is it? Along the California-Nevada border

NASA's INCUS mission on road to launch, study storms from space

NASA's INCUS mission on road to launch, study storms from space Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Teams working on NASA's INCUS (Investigation of Convective Updrafts) mission, the first space-based survey of the dynamics of tropical convective storms, have completed assembly and tested two of the mission's small satellites, or SmallSats. Testing continues on the third SmallSat and is scheduled for completion no earlier than September ahead of a 2027 launch. The three...

Amplified Arctic iceberg traffic reshapes benthic biodiversity

Abstract The Arctic is undergoing rapid warming, resulting in retreating sea ice and glaciers1, yet how cryospheric changes propagate into the deep ocean remains poorly understood2. Here we identify a climate-driven mechanism linking accelerating glacier disintegration to an increase in deep-sea hard-bottom habitats far beyond calving fronts. Seafloor observations in Fram Strait show a localized increase in the density and patchiness of dropstones delivered by debris-laden icebergs.