NASA Earth Observations (NEO)

Welcome to NEO!

Our Mission

Our mission is to help you picture climate and environmental changes as they occur on our home planet. Here you can browse and download imagery of satellite data from NASA's constellation of Earth Observing System satellites. Read more

Atmosphere

Aerosol Optical Thickness

Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are called aerosols. Examples of aerosols include windblown dust, sea salts, volcanic ash, smoke from fires, and pollution from factories. These particles are important to scientists because they can affect climate, weather, and people’s health. Aerosols affect climate by scattering sunlight back into space and cooling the surface. Aerosols also help cool Earth in another way — they act like “seeds” to help form clouds. Read more

Energy

Solar Insolation

These maps show where and how much sunlight fell on Earth’s surface during the time period indicated. Scientists call this measure solar insolation. Knowing how much of the Sun’s energy reaches the surface helps scientists understand weather and climate patterns as well as patterns of plant growth around our world. Read more

Land

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly

Land surface temperature is how hot or cold the ground feels to the touch. An anomaly is when something is different from average. These maps show where Earth’s surface was warmer or cooler in the daytime than the average temperatures for the same week or month from 2001-2010. Read more

Life

Vegetation Index

Our lives depend upon plants and trees. They feed us and give us clothes. They absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen we need to breathe. Plants even provide many of our medicines and building materials. So when the plants and trees around us change, these changes can affect our health, our environment, and our economy. Read more