Earth
Our home.
Earth—our home planet—is the only place we know of so far that’s inhabited by living things.
NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future. We monitor Earth’s vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns.
NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world.
Recent News
Above the Earth, Below the Surface: Landsat's Role in Monitoring Water Quality
Only 3% of water on Earth's surface is fresh - a vital resource for electricity, farming, and life. As global temperatures rise, disruptions like algal blooms, glacial melt, and drought threaten our aquatic ecosystems. Safeguarding these resources is crucial, and while scientists use a variety of ground-based techniques to gauge water quality, the Landsat program has provided water quality data from orbit for decades. Here are just a few ways Landsat satellites lend us a hand when it comes to monitoring water quality.
Images of the Day
Fresh Powder on the Rockies
A storm brought wintry weather and the first significant snowfall of the season to the Rocky Mountains.
Drought on the Rio Negro
The water level of the largest tributary of the Amazon River has hit a record low.
Darkened by the Moon’s Shadow
As the Moon crossed between the Sun and Earth during the 2023 annular eclipse, its shadow darkened skies across the United States.
Idaho’s Fields and Flows
A patchwork of farmland along the Snake River abuts a flow of hardened lava.
San Salvador: A City Among Volcanoes
The cultural and political hub of El Salvador lies along the Central American Volcanic Arc.
Bushfires in the Northern Territory
A warm, dry September set the stage for increased fire risk in Australia.
NASA and Agriculture
In the satellite era, Earth observing data has increasingly become part of the food farming process. With observations from space and aircraft, combined with high-end computer modeling, NASA scientists work with partner agencies, organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and decision makers to share our understanding of the relationship between the Earth system and the environments that provide us food.
Ensuring Food Security
NASA promotes the use of Earth observations to strengthen food security, support market stability and protect human livelihoods. Together with partners in the United States and around the world, we help bolster food security, improve agricultural resilience and reduce price volatility for vulnerable communities.
NASA At Your Table: The Space Agency’s Surprising Role in Agriculture
Everybody needs to eat. With observations from space and aircraft, combined with high-end computer modeling, NASA scientists work with partner agencies, organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and decision makers to share our understanding of the relationship between the Earth system and the environments that provide us food.
Food and Agriculture
From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.
Learn More About NASA's Initiatives
NASA has a unique vantage point for observing the beauty and wonder of Earth and for making sense of it. Looking back from space, astronaut Edgar Mitchell once called Earth “a sparkling blue and white jewel,” and it does dazzle the eye.
Earth: a photo-essay.
Earth Information Center (EIC)
In an interactive new exhibit at the NASA Headquarters in Washington, visitors are invited to see Earth as NASA sees it from space. For six decades, NASA satellites, sensors, and scientists have collected data on Earth’s land, water, air, and climate. At the Earth Information Center, the public can glimpse what this data has taught us about sea level rise, air quality, wildfires, greenhouse gases, ice cover, and agriculture.
Visit the EIC
The EIC is in the east lobby of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. It is open to visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET each Monday through Friday.
Visit the EIC Online
For six decades, NASA satellites, sensors, and scientists have collected data on Earth’s land, water, air, and climate. At the Earth Information Center, the public can glimpse what this data has taught us about sea level rise, air quality, wildfires, greenhouse gases, ice cover, and agriculture.
