An artist’s conception of NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite, which collects images of Earth’s surface using different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum (left) and a graphic featured in the exhibition showing the various ways NASA collects information about Earth (right).
NASA develops and supports Earth-observing missions to gather the necessary data to address key questions about global changes. From space, satellites fitted with sensitive instruments can detect images both in visible light and in ways the eye cannot naturally see. Satellites capture a variety of scales and systems—from entire continents to individual trees, from the particles in the atmosphere to underground aquifers.