NASA Earth Observatory
NASA Earth Observatory launched in 1999 as a freely accessible window into some of the most dramatic imagery of our planet ever captured from orbit. Funded by the United States Congress and housed within the EOS Project Science Office at Goddard Space Flight Center, it occupies an unusual position: a public-facing publication backed by one of the most sophisticated scientific agencies on Earth. What does it actually show the world? How does satellite imagery of a crumbling ice shelf or a dust storm curling off Morocco reach an ordinary person sitting at home? And what does it mean for science communication when the most powerful Earth-observing tools ever built are pointed not just at researchers, but at anyone curious enough to look?
Goddard Space Flight Center is where the EOS Project Science Office operates, and it is from this institutional home that NASA Earth Observatory draws its scientific grounding. The site serves as NASA's principal channel for delivering satellite imagery and scientific information about the climate and the environment to the general public. That mission is specific: the imagery and data originate from NASA's own instruments, and the outlet exists to move that material out of specialist channels and into public view. Public funding, authorized by Congress, makes the whole operation possible without paywalls or subscription barriers. The imagery released in 2008 illustrated just how wide that scope can be, spanning ocean cloud formations over the Caspian Sea, windborne dust off the Moroccan coastline, the fracture of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, and the track of Hurricane Bertha.
The Webby People's Voice Award in Education has recognized NASA Earth Observatory three times. The People's Voice Award is chosen by the public rather than a professional jury, which makes these wins a signal of broad audience engagement rather than insider approval. Winning the same category three separate times suggests a consistency in the site's ability to reach and hold a general readership. For a government scientific publication, that kind of repeated public recognition is notable. The site's combination of imagery, scientific context, and open access appears to have carved out a reliable audience willing to vote for it as an educational resource.
Common questions
What is NASA Earth Observatory and when was it created?
NASA Earth Observatory is an online publication created in 1999. It serves as NASA's principal source of satellite imagery and scientific information about the climate and environment for the general public.
Who funds NASA Earth Observatory?
NASA Earth Observatory is funded with public money as authorized by the United States Congress. It operates as part of the EOS Project Science Office at Goddard Space Flight Center.
What awards has NASA Earth Observatory won?
NASA Earth Observatory has won the Webby People's Voice Award in Education three times. The People's Voice Award is determined by public voting rather than a professional panel.
What images did NASA Earth Observatory publish in 2008?
In 2008, NASA Earth Observatory released a series of widely publicized images including clouds streaming over the Caspian Sea, dust storms off the coast of Morocco, the crumbling of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, and Hurricane Bertha.
Where is NASA Earth Observatory located organizationally?
NASA Earth Observatory is part of the EOS Project Science Office located at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Is NASA Earth Observatory free to access?
NASA Earth Observatory is funded by public money authorized by the United States Congress and provides satellite imagery and environmental information to the general public.
All sources
3 references cited across the entry
- 1About UsThe Earth Observatory