Top Picks for 2017
Hurricane Jose - Caribbean
Hurricane Jose hit its peak recorded wind speed of 155mph when this image was taken, as the storm's eye barely missed Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles.
City Lights - Northeastern USA
A nearly uninterrupted string of lights stretches from Philadelphia to Hartford. Read more...
Checkerboarding - Idaho
Protected lands stand alongside timber harvesting operations thanks to an old agreement. Read more...
Solar Evaporation Ponds - Utah
A fertilizer extraction operation adds distinct color to the landscape. Read more...
Meidob Volcanic Field - Sudan
This geologically young volcanic field in western Sudan has nearly 700 vents and craters. Read more...
City Lights - Northwestern Europe
Several of the oldest cities of northwestern Europe are highlighted in this nighttime astronaut photograph.
Sunrise - Philippine Sea
Astronauts see sixteen sunrises every 24 hours. Read more...
Mount Etna Erupting - Sicily
One of the most consistently active volcanoes in the world, Sicily’s Mount Etna has a historical record of eruptions dating back to 1500 BC.
Betsiboka Estuary - Madagascar
The Betsiboka Estuary on the northwestern coast of Madagascar is the mouth of Madagascar’s largest river and one of the world’s fast-changing coastlines.
Big Island - Hawaii
The Island of Hawaii is a vast canvas of environments from desert shores to rain forests to frozen mountain heights.
Naples and Mount Vesuvius at Night - Italy
Millennia of human development stand alongside mainland Europe's only active volcano. Read more...
Cosmoledo Atoll - Seychelles
This raised coral island wraps around the bright blue lagoon in a ring-shaped formation characteristic of atolls. Atolls like this one are usually indications of an extinct volcano or seamount eroding below the water surface.
Namib Desert - Namibia
Dunes grow upon dunes in one of the most visually spectacular places on Earth, as least from an astronaut's perspective.
Lake Alakol with Ice - Kazakhstan
Ice breaks up on the surface of Lake Alakol as temperatures start to warm and welcome spring after a frozen winter. The lake sits in a narrow valley pass known as Dzungarian Gate, which connects China to Central Asia and stretches over a distance of 4,828 kilometers.
Mauna Loa - Hawaii
The sharp features of the summit caldera and lava flows that drain outward from the summit are tribute to the fact that Mauna Loa is one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes.
Aurora Borealis - Canada
Among the views of Earth afforded astronauts aboard the International Space Station, surely one of the most spectacular is of the aurora.
Fending Off the Wind on the Steppe
Shelterbelts or wind breaks are used to protect and preserve farmland in southern Russian. Read more...
