Satellite imagery provides a unique perspective on our planet and can encompass a wide range of different scientific disciplines including climate change, weather, volcanic eruptions and even animal behavior. Every week, we take a bird's eye view of Earth, and see how it affects the people living on it.
See more stunning pictures of Earth
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Explosive 'Mountain of God' spits out world's fastest-flowing lavaEarth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows the unique structure of Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active stratovolcano in Tanzania that was recently adorned with a bright white "ash cone." The explosive peak produces a rare type of lava that is unusually cool but travels remarkably quickly.
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World's highest frozen lake shatters along disputed border between China and IndiaEarth from space A 2024 astronaut photo shows the icy surface of Pangong Lake breaking apart in the lofty Tibetan Plateau. The point where the ice meets the water almost perfectly matches a disputed border between China and India.
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Colossal scars of 60 million-year-long continental collision streak across warped mountains in PakistanEarth from space A 2011 satellite photo shows off an "imbricate fan" of alternating rocks in Pakistan's Sulaiman Range. The striking structure formed along the boundary of two tectonic plates that have long been locked in a geological tug-of-war.
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Giant, milky-green vortex swirls across massive 'cryptodepression' lake in Southern EuropeEarth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows a massive, milky-green vortex in Lake Skadar, which lies on the border between Montenegro and Albania.
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Space shuttle photobombs Earth for the final time, 15 years agoEarth from space This 2011 astronaut photo captured one of NASA's iconic space shuttles passing between Earth and the International Space Station for the very last time.
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Colorful 'painting-like' ripples cover an ancient seafloor structure the BahamasEarth from space A 2020 satellite photo shows off the ethereal beauty of submerged sandbanks and seagrass beds in the Great Bahama Bank. This massive underwater structure is as old as the dinosaurs and has been admired by scientists for decades.
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Shadowy tendrils of ancient lava have scarred a dark volcano next to a 'skull' in the SaharaEarth from space A 2019 astronaut photo shows off ancient lava flows that once oozed down the jet-black slopes of the Toussidé volcano in northwestern Chad. An intriguing volcanic "skull" also lurks in the aerial image.
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Bizarre 'bull's-eye' cloud rings appear above erupting volcano on Atlantic islandEarth from space A 2021 satellite photo shows an unusual series of concentric cloud rings that appeared directly above an erupting volcano on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands.
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Indonesia's near-identical, 'Twin Peaks' volcanoes form striking mirror imageEarth from space A 2021 astronaut photo shows the surprising similarities between Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing, which lie at the heart of Java, Indonesia.
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