Top Picks for 2016

Thunderhead anvils stretch out in three dimensions against the thin blue envelope of the atmopshere. Read more...

Thin layers of lighter and darker blues reveal the many layers of the atmosphere. Read more...

Several large anvil thunderstorms roll over the South China Sea.

Sun glint bounces off of this Indonesian island.

The Salar de Atacama in Chile is an enclosed basin with no drainage outlets and is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth.

One of the most famous glaciers in Patagonia periodically cuts off the major southern arm of Lago Argentino.

A sinuous green aurora appears above a deck of clouds in this dramatic astronaut photograph from August 11, 2016.

This dam is one of four hydroelectric plants along the Sao Francisco River in Brazil.

Evidence of a three year volcanic eruption in the 1980s still shows on Sangeang Volcano today.

The islands of this tourist mecca are actually the rim of an old volcano. Read more...

Dunes grow upon dunes in one of the most visually spectacular places on Earth, as least from an astronaut's perspective.

The highest peak in Japan is one of the nation's most striking symbols. Read more...

This shallow, saline lake in Iran is one of the largest in the Middle East. But drought and water withdrawals for farming are shrinking it.

Swirling, low-lying clouds over the Atlantic Ocean prove for a fascinating picture from space.

Formed from the Aswan Dam and cycles of drought and flooding, astronauts and scientists have been monitoring the level of Lake Nasser for decades.

The manmade islands around the city of Dubai can be easily recognized by astronauts in space.