Epic GIF

Twice a year, DSCOVR satellite's camera EPIC captures the Moon transiting Earth. 

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The subtle influence of the Moon on Earth's weather

"Pale Moon rains. Red Moon blows. White Moon neither rains nor snows." For generations, people have watched the Moon for signs of changes in the weather. 

The Moon does, in fact, affect the Earth's weather patterns in several subtle ways.

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Earth Restored

Philosopher Toby Ord decided to restore NASA's film images of Earth taken by astronauts on the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s.

 Earth Restored is a series of these beautiful images, brought back to their full glory.

 

Planet or Plastic?

National Geographic magazine has just launched an informative and shockingly revealing campaign called Planet or Plastic? and it is something that we all need to see and learn from.

These powerful and heartbreaking images vividly illustrate the damage that 9 million tonnes of plastic waste each year does to our environment and wildlife, and are the beginning of what will be a multi-year initiative to significantly reduce it. Scientists and researchers from the magazine hope to fill knowledge gaps about the long-term impacts of plastic, as it dissolves into microscopic particles that eventually enter our food chain. They also aim to gain a better understanding of its journey from the source here on land, all the way down to the deepest depths of remote ocean floors.

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The crucial thing we all need to understand.

In the 19th Century, global waste production rose tenfold and is predicted to double again by 2025. The growth in the human population is part of the explanation, but cannot account for all of the extra rubbish. We produce more rubbish than any other pollutant. Shamefully, huge amounts of plastic now roam the oceans, where they threaten marine life by blocking out the sunlight that nourishes plankton and algae. Temperatures around Earth are changing, too. Even a small change in the average annual temperature, just 1 or 2C, can be enough to impact the survival of a treasured species.
 North America's monarch butterflies, which are famous for their huge migrations, are one of the species that seem to have been harmed by warmer temperatures.
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Hello, is this planet Earth?

Based on over 150 photographs taken by British astronaut Tim Peake, the book documents his six months on the International Space Station.

 

Satellite eye on Earth

Ocean storms, California fires and an ice-free North-west Passage were among the images captured by European Space Agency and Nasa satellites.

 

This Photo Captured the First View of Earth From the Moon

What does Earth look like? For millennia, humans could only speculate on their planet’s appearance. But 50 years ago today, that changed when a NASA spacecraft captured the first-ever photograph of Earth from the moon. If you think the photo was the ubiquitous “blue marble”-style photograph, think again—that photo wasn’t taken until Apollo 17 traveled toward the moon in 1972.
 Though the photo eventually became one of the most-used images in history, it wasn’t the first to show Earth from deep space. That honor went to the black-and-white image you see above.
The photo was taken by NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 1 in 1966.

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Why Earth often has two moons

Watch the video here to discover the second moon Earth had in 2006, and why our planet might have them a lot of the time.

 

Earth's most important creatures

Plankton are responsible for 50% of earth’s oxygen. They are an essential part of the food chain.
And billions of billions of ancient plankton have given their bodies to form the crude oil that powers modern society. Yet we rarely recognise their contribution to life on this planet, including our own.
So to celebrate all things planktonic, BBC Earth has partnered with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and his arch nemesis Sheldon J Plankton to create this short film.
Watch, enjoy, and if you can find it within yourself, say a little thank you to what are perhaps the most important creatures on earth.

Your life on earth

Explore BBC Earth's unique interactive, personalised just to you. Find out how, since the date of your birth, your life has progressed; including how many times your heart has beaten, and how far you have travelled through space. Investigate how the world around you has changed since you've been alive; from the amount the sea has risen, and the tectonic plates have moved, to the number of earthquakes and volcanoes that have erupted. Grasp the impact we've had on the planet in your lifetime; from how much fuel and food we've used to the species we've discovered and endangered.
And see how the BBC was there with you, capturing some of the most amazing wonders of the natural world.