NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image of Earth

NASA receives many requests from people interested in getting satellite images of their city, neighborhood, or street. While pictures of your home or school are fun, they aren't available through NASA. However, we do have fascinating satellite images of places from all over the world. This allows NASA and you to study Earth's geography, weather, and more. In this article you will find sources of NASA satellite imagery and related classroom resources.

What is a Satellite?

A satellite is an object that moves around a larger object. Our moon is a satellite to Earth, just as Earth is a satellite to our Sun. Along the same lines, a mechanical machine built here on Earth and placed in orbit around Earth is also a satellite. The satellites that orbit Earth are there for three different purposes: scientific, communications, and applications. Satellites can be in orbit to relay telephone calls or television signals, or they can be in orbit to measure different forms of energy wavelengths. Or, these satellites can be in orbit taking pictures of Earth, helping us learn more about weather patterns, plate shifting, ozone depletion and more. For more information on how satellites work, read over the information at the Web sites below.

• http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/fact_sheets/general/satsum.htm



• http://ctd.grc.nasa.gov/rleonard

Images of the Globe

There's nothing more spectacular than seeing pictures of Earth from space. The first satellite picture of Earth, was taken by the weather satellite TIROS-1 in 1960. Compared to today's images, the picture doesn't hold much appeal, but at the time demonstrated groundbreaking technology. With the advancement of technology however, image quality has increased tremendously. Below are some places where you can find satellite images of the "blue marble" that is our Earth.

• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000420.html



• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/EarthObservatory/The_Blue_Marble_from_Apollo_17.htm



• http://modis-snow-ice.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe_east.html

Movie camera

Zoom-In Movies of Earth

NASA has developed zoom-in clips using real-time satellite images taken from various crafts. Starting high above Earth, you rush towards the surface, watching as you zoom towards one particular area. These on-line movies will give students a real feel for the amazing capabilities of satellites.

• http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20010419landsatimaging.html

Southeastern U.S.

Countries, Regions, States, and Cities

Images of the globe are always fascinating, but some people want to see images of their city or state from a satellite viewpoint. NASA has imaged nearly every major city in the world, as well as those areas that aren't as populated. The links below will help you locate states, countries, regions and cities.

• http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/Countries



• http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/Regions



• http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/U_S__States



• http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/radar/sircxsar/cities.html



• http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/gallery/image_index.shtml.html

One last resource available is the NASA Image Exchange (NIX). NIX is a searchable collection of hundreds of thousands of NASA images.

• http://nix.nasa.gov

Earth and Satellite

Earth Observing Satellites - Atmosphere, Land, and Water

NASA and other government agencies have launched satellites that either track, map, or image Earth. The majority of these satellites are to keep track of various elements, such as weather or continental drift. The images that come back are fascinating, often answering questions on why some phenomenon is occurring, or how far something is spreading. To learn more about such satellites and what they do, visit the sites below.

Air/Atmosphere

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS)

Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (AcrimSat)

Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA)

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)

NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT)

POLAR Operational Environmental Satellite (POES)

SeaWinds on Midori 2

SeaWinds on QuickSCAT

TERRA - The EOS Flagship

Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)

Land

Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

Earth Observing-1

Landsat

Laser Geodynamics Satellite (LAGEOS)

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

Water

Aqua

Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat)

Jason 1

Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)

Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS)

TERRA

TOPEX/Poseidon

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Missions (TRMM)

EarthKAM logo

• http://www.earthkam.ucsd.edu

CORE logo

Central Operation of Resources for Educators

The Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE) serves as the worldwide distribution center for NASA-produced educational materials. For a minimal charge, CORE makes these materials available through its mail order service.

Slide Program

Full Earth

Computer Materials

OS Science Plan Book/CD-ROM w/Global Change Media Directory and MOPPITT Guide

Mission Geography CD-ROM

Video Tapes

Sea Winds: Catch the Wind The Quik SCAT Story

UARS: The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

Jason: An Ocean Odyssey

Glacier Bay, Alaska From the Ground, Air and Space

TOPEX/POSEIDON: A Mission to Planet Earth