NASA Earth

@NASA @USNRL GPS III SV-09 isn’t the only satellite that uses this technology. Earth observing satellites like ICESat-2, SWOT, and GRACE-FO also rely on laser ranging technology. Learn more: science.nasa.gov/centers-and-fa…

Whether walking, driving, sailing, or flying, GPS technology helps people know where they are and get where they’re going. A @NASA & @USNRL instrument on board the recently launched GPS III SV-09 satellite will help improve location measurements.

Go looking for green, and you may find the whole rainbow! 🍀🌈 @NASA's PACE satellite was designed to monitor the ocean and atmosphere, but it's giving us a whole new way to see plants on land.

Learn more about this image: science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-ob…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀 Are you wearing green today? Ireland sure is! In this Landsat image, folded limestone forms swirls of gray amidst the shades of green near Ireland’s west coast.

This is the Burren region in western Ireland! Did you guess correctly? Learn more about this image: science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-ob…

Ready for a puzzler? 🧩 This satellite image shows a place on our planet. Can you tell where it is? We’ll share the answer tomorrow morning (March 17) at 11am ET.

Mood: going with the flow 🌀 Swirling patterns in Cañon Fiord were revealed during the 2022 summer melt season, when broken sea ice and sediment traced eddies in the water. Landsat 8 captured the swirls from space. go.nasa.gov/4bxOfuz

We're irrationally excited for Pi Day! 🥧 This week's NASA EXPRESS has a plate full of STEM resources to help you celebrate our favorite irrational number on 3.14. Dig in here: conta.cc/4un7pMg

Astrobiologists also point to the lake as a possible analog for the type of environment where life might have formed or survived on icy moons with oceans such as Europa and Enceladus. More ⬇️ go.nasa.gov/4lryg5Q

What’s so unusual about this lake? 🤔 Lake Unter-See in Antarctica contains cone-shaped microbial reefs resembling some of Earth’s oldest fossils, which create high levels of dissolved oxygen under the ice. NASA’s Landsat 9 captured this image on Feb. 16, 2026.

@NASA Studying geologic features on Earth helps NASA scientists understand similar structures on other worlds. It also allows scientists to test field equipment and techniques here on Earth before using them to explore other worlds! Learn more: go.nasa.gov/4bHlR9x

@NASA This is Mars! NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image of Ulysses Colles, an area that also has scoria cones and lava flows.

Both Earth and Mars have been shaped by volcanic activity, creating some similar geologic features on each planet. One of these images shows Earth and the other shows Mars. Can you tell which is which? 🤔

@NASA Melting icebergs can boost phytoplankton by creating a stable surface layer with favorable growth conditions and releasing plumes of meltwater rich in iron. Icebergs also contain manganese and other nutrients that can benefit phytoplankton.

@NASA The first image, from Suomi NPP, shows iceberg A-23A along with brash ice, small icebergs, and other iceberg bits in its wake. The second image is from PACE. It shows chlorophyll-a concentrations, which scientists use as a marker of phytoplankton abundance.

As iceberg A-23A has disintegrated, the berg has left chunks of ice and frigid meltwater in its wake. The conditions fueled a phytoplankton bloom on Jan. 25, 2026 that @nasa's PACE satellite detected from space! go.nasa.gov/4s67brp

Need someone to blame for springtime misery? Look no further than ALAN*! Researchers using @NASAEarth satellite data found that artificial lights at night (ALAN) can contribute to longer, more intense allergy seasons. *Sorry to any Alans reading this. go.nasa.gov/4cxLI5R

The effects of a winter storm in… Florida? In early February 2026, cold air from the Arctic drove temperatures below freezing in parts of Florida and stirred up ocean waters, turning the sea bright blue and forming interesting swirls and patterns. go.nasa.gov/4ssAQuG