NASA studies our own planet more than any other. We operate 26 missions in orbit and sponsor hundreds of research programs and studies each year. We observe our planet’s oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere, and measure how a change in one drives change in others. We develop new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected systems and we build long-term data records of how our planet evolves. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world.
PACE
PACE will help us better understand our ocean and atmosphere by measuring key variables associated with cloud formation, particles and pollutants in the air, and microscopic, floating marine life (phytoplankton).…
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Recent News and Articles
Picturing Earth: Window On The World
From their orbiting home on the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts have a view unlike anything most of us will ever see. In the past 20 years, they have shot millions of photographs, and it is not just a hobby. It is an important scientific job, and one the astronauts need to be trained to do. Every photograph is valuable because it might be inspirational or scientifically useful. So the astronauts and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing team work together before, during, and after every mission to get the most out of every shot.
Greenhouse Gases
NASA has several instruments and tools for measuring and modeling greenhouse gases – where they come from, where they go, and how they are driving climate change. The agency works with federal, state, and international partners to make this information freely available.
NASA, Partners Launch US Greenhouse Gas Center to Share Climate Data
Images of the Day
Air Quality
Air pollution is a significant threat to human health and our environment. Instruments on NASA satellites, along with airborne and ground-based sensors, are constantly collecting data on major pollutants in our atmosphere.
Learn MoreNASA 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)
Visit the EIC in person
In an interactive exhibit at NASA Headquarters in Washington, visitors are invited to see Earth as NASA and its research partners see it from space. 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, satellites, sensors, and scientists have collected data on Earth’s land, water, air, and climate. On this website, you can glimpse what this data has taught us about sea level rise, air quality, wildfires, greenhouse gases, ice cover, and agriculture.