Earth

Earth, our home planet, is the 3rd planet from the sun.

Related Topics: Mars, The Moon, Venus, We Don't Planet, Neptune 

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a pall of smoke crossing the atlantic into spain and portugal, as seen by an earth-orbiting satellite

Smoke from Canadian wildfires chokes US Midwest, reaches Europe (satellite photos)

By Robert Lea published

Smoke from raging Canadian wildfires can be seen from space as it gathers over the U.S. Midwest and darkens skies in Europe over Spain, Portugal and the U.K.

a satellite view of buildings, roads and a small village

Satellites spy on human trafficking 'compounds' (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A human rights organization, partnering with Maxar, recently publicized its efforts to combat human trafficking in southeast Asia. Satellites are a crucial tool in that fight.

overhead view of mecca with lots of roads and desert

UAE astronaut spies Mecca from space station during Hajj (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi photographed Mecca, one of Islam's holiest cities, from the International Space Station during the annual pilgrimage, or Hajj.

Earth, with South America and the Pacific Ocean. The northern hemisphere is covered in swirls of a dusty sand color, with darker wisps reaching down into the southern half of the globe.

Watch the world choke on CO2 in eerie NASA videos of manmade emissions

By Sascha Pare published

The animations highlight emissions from different human and natural sources, with the main contribution coming from the burning of fossil fuels.

The tops of three coniferous trees poke out from the bottom left, as an upward view of the night sky is lit with vibrant shades of green, pink and purple shooting out in sheets as rays of light from the image's center.

Earth's thermosphere reaches highest temperature in 20 years after being bombarded by solar storms

By Harry Baker published

The atmospheric temperature spike, which was caused by successive geomagnetic storms, suggests the "solar maximum" is fast approaching.

a flash of green light on the horizon during sunrise over the sea

What causes the strange green flash at sunset and sunrise on Earth?

By Joe Rao published

There are very special cases, when the sky is very clear and exceptionally transparent, that a green flash can be glimpsed just as the very topmost part of the sun is rising or setting.

OceanGate's Titan submersible on an underwater platform prior to a 2018 test dive.

Space explorers mourn the loss of Titan submersible's 5 crewmates

By Rahul Rao published

The exploration community is still reeling from the announcement that the submersible Titan broke apart, resulting in the death of its five passengers.

three cosmonauts holding a red, dark-blue, and light-blue-striped flag aboard the international space station

Russian space agency Roscosmos recruiting fighters for war against Ukraine: report

By Andrew Jones published

Russia's space agency Roscosmos is recruiting and training militia members for the nation's ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine, according to a Financial Times report.

Satellite measurements show extremely high water temperatures around the coast of Britain and Ireland.

Satellites observe record-breaking marine heatwave hit North Atlantic

By Tereza Pultarova published

Ocean water temperatures around the U.K. and Ireland are over 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) above long-term averages for this part of the year.

OceanGate's Titan submersible on an underwater platform prior to a 2018 test dive.

Debris from missing submersible found near Titanic, crew of 5 — including space tourist — presumed dead

By Mike Wall published

Debris from the submersible that disappeared while on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic on Sunday (June 18) has been found, and its five passengers are presumed dead.

a satellite photo of the dry, brown atacama desert showing a huge pile of discarded clothes

High fashion! Mountain of discarded clothes in Chilean desert is visible from space (satellite photo)

By Robert Lea published

A satellite photo captures a mountain of discarded clothes in Chile that's growing by about 39,000 tons a year.

an illustration of Earth jittering as seen from the moon

Earthquakes seem more intense after cosmic ray strikes. Scientists say this is why.

By Robert Lea published

A new study has found an odd link between the magnitude of earthquakes and the intensity of cosmic radiation reaching our planet from space.

a shadow moves across the face of the Earth

Watch sunlight dance across Earth from solstice to solstice in this gorgeous video

By Tereza Pultarova published

An amazing new video demonstrates how Earth's tilt changes throughout the year, causing the day to lengthen and shorten from north to south as the planet orbits the sun.

Satellite images show that the amount of sea ice floating around Antarctica remains too low during the winter season.

Climate change hits Antarctica hard, sparking concerns about irreversible tipping points

By Tereza Pultarova published

The extent of sea ice surrounding Antarctica has fallen to a historic minimum this year, triggering concerns that the pristine polar continent might be reaching a climate change tipping point.

four pillars of stonehenge are visible at the front of the image. Behind is the heel stone with the sun touching the top of it. far in the back are trees and fog

Stonehenge's summer solstice orientation is seen in monuments all over the UK in amazing photos

By Elizabeth Howell published

Stone circles and ancient tombs dot much of the UK landscape. As the summer solstice reaches Stonehenge, photographer Josh Dury shares other Neolithic monuments that face the sun.

OceanGate's Titan submersible on an underwater platform prior to a 2018 test dive.

Missing Titanic submersible built with NASA help

By Mike Wall published

Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama advised on the development of the missing submersible, which is named Titan.

portraits of two people

Crew of missing submersible near Titanic includes space tourist Hamish Harding, SETI trustee Shahzada Dawood

By Elizabeth Howell published

5 people on board a submersible are missing after diving near the Titanic ship liner on Sunday (June 18), and have only a few days of oxygen on board, multiple media reports suggest.

satellite image of a huge plume created by an undersea volcanic eruption near tonga in january 2022, with blue dots superimposed on top that represent lightning strikes within the plume

Tonga undersea volcano created most intense lightning storm ever recorded

By Keith Cooper published

The volcano, which erupted in January 2022, was a type never seen before and produced rippling rings of lightning 150 miles (240 kilometers) across.

A baron looking landscape with fumes rising from rocks.

Europe's most dangerous 'supervolcano' could be creeping toward eruption, scientists warn

By Ben Turner published

Italy's Campi Flegrei is showing some troubling early warning signs, but scientists caution that its eruption is far from certain.

The Earth's tilt has changed because of the amount of groundwater pumped by humans.

Humans are pumping out so much groundwater that it's changing Earth's tilt

By Tereza Pultarova published

The way humans pump groundwater from the planet's interior has changed Earth's tilt by 31.5 inches (80 centimeters) between 1993 and 2010.