Since 1958, NASA has launched dozens of satellites to monitor Earth. While Explorer 1 measured cosmic rays, satellites today can observe everything from salinity in the oceans to nitrous oxide, air temperature, and more. Over two dozen active NASA satellite missions currently monitor Earth from orbit.
These missions collect vast amounts of data each day. To help people access and understand this science, NASA created the interactive Eyes on the Earth map. It’s a fun and intuitive way to visualize key indicators about the planet. Along the way, you can also learn a little more about the satellites that produce this data.
When you launch the map, you’ll see imagery of Earth as it appeared to sensors on the previous day. You can explore the map by rotating and zooming in on the globe. At the same time, you’ll notice dots with crisscrossing lines circling Earth. These are the locations and tracks of the 26 active missions in orbit. Immediately, you get a sense of the complex network of instruments that help us understand our planet. And you can click any satellite to zoom into a 3D model of the satellite at its current location.
You can access the most recent data from these satellites using the ribbon beneath the map or the Vital Signs menu. Clicking an indicator like carbon monoxide drapes the most recent data over the globe. You can click any place on the planet for the measurement at that location. Even better, you can animate the data through custom time-lapse views for each indicator. Date ranges depend on the mission, with some missions allowing you to explore data across several decades.
The map also highlights recent events that satellites have detected. They range from dust storms and massive wildfires to floods and freezes. You can also discover curated visualizations about events like Hurricane Katrina. It’s a clever approach that reinforces how events on Earth manifest in the data satellites collect.
These satellites have produced a lot of the data that signals Earth’s climate is changing. As we head into an uncertain future, keeping an eye on the planet’s vital signs will help us understand where we’re going. At the same time, they’ll also provide a detailed historical record of how we got there.
More to Explore
- Learn more about recent enhancements to this interactive map.
- Take a deep dive into the history of Explorer 1.
