iss056e078527 (7/6/2018) --- Photographic documentation of ECOSTRESS installation onto the Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) investigation provides the first-ever high spatiotemporal (space-time) resolution thermal infrared measurements of the surface of the Earth from the International Space Station (ISS).

S65-58941 (27 Aug. 1965) --- U.S. Air Force Weapons Laboratory D-8 (Radiation in Space) experiment for Gemini-6 spaceflight. Kennedy Space Center alternative photo number is 104-KSC-65C-5533. Photo credit: NASA

S72-37257 (November 1972) --- The Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (S-202), one of the experiments of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package which will be carried on the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the physical parameters of primary and secondary particles impacting the lunar surface.

S70-56721 (December 1970) --- A close-up view of the Lunar Portable Magnetometer (LPM), which will be used by the crew of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission during the second extravehicular activity (EVA). The LPM's components, a tripod-mounted flux-gate magnetometer sensor head and an electronics data package, connected by a 50-feet flat cable, function together to measure variations in the lunar magnetic field at several points on the geological traverse. Data gathered will be used to determine the location, strength and dimensions of magnetic sources, as well as knowledge of the local and total selenological structure. The LPM will be carried on the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET), and deployed by the lunar module pilot, who will align the sensor head at least 35 feet from the data package. The LM pilot will then return to the MET and verbally relay the LPM readouts to Earth. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell is the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.

STS066-14-021 (3-14 Nov 1994) --- On the Space Shuttle Atlantis' mid-deck, astronaut Curtis L. Brown, Jr., pilot, works with the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), which is making its eleventh Shuttle flight. This system supports the Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiments onboard by collecting and recording data characterizing the microgravity environment in the Shuttle mid-deck. Brown joined four other NASA astronauts and a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut for 11-days aboard Atlantis in support of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3) mission.

S72-37259 (November 1972) --- The Geophone Module and Cable Reels of the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (S-203), a component of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package which will be carried on the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. LSPE components are four geophones similar to those used in an earlier active seismic experiment, an electronics package in the ALSEP central station, and eight explosive packages which will be deployed during the geology traverse. The four geophones will be placed one in the center and one at each corner of a 90-meter equilateral triangle. Explosive charges placed on the surface will generate seismic waves of varying strengths to provide data on the structural profile of the landing site. After the charges have been fired by ground command, the experiment will settle down into a passive listening mode, detecting moonquakes, meteorite impacts and the thump caused by the Lunar Module ascent stage impact.

Astronaut Karen Nyberg,Expedition 36 flight engineer,performs a Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device (SLAMMD) Body Mass Measurement test in the U.S. Laboratory.

STS059-S-040 (12 April 1994) --- STS-59's MAPS (Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites) experiment is sending real-time data that provides the most comprehensive view of carbon monoxide concentrations on Earth ever recorded. This computer image shows a summary of "quick look" data obtained by the MAPS instrument during its first days of operations as part of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's SRL-1 payload. This data will be processed using more sophisticated techniques following the flight. The color red indicates areas with the highest levels of carbon monoxide. These Northern Hemisphere springtime carbon monoxide values are generally significantly higher than the values found in the Southern Hemisphere. This is in direct contrast to the data obtained by the MAPS experiment during November 1981 and October 1984, i.e. during Northern Hemisphere fall. The astronauts aboard Endeavour have seen fires in most of the areas showing higher carbon monoxide values (China, Eastern Australia, and equatorial Africa). The relationship between the observed fires and the higher carbon monoxide values will be investigated following SRL-1 by combining the MAPS data with meteorological data, surface imagery, and Space Shuttle hand-held photographs. By the end of SRL-1, MAPS will have acquired data over most of the globe between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south latitudes. The entire data set will be carefully analyzed using sophisticated post-flight data processing techniques. The data will then be applied in a variety of scientific studies concerning chemistry and transport processes in the atmosphere. The MAPS experiment measures the carbon monoxide in the lower atmosphere. This gas is produced both as a result of natural processes and as a result of human activities. The primary human resources of carbon monoxide are automobiles and industry and the burning of plant materials. The primary natural source is the interaction of sunlight with naturally occurring ozone and water vapor. The strength of all of these sources changes seasonally.

NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) captured new imagery of fires in the Amazon regions of Brazil and Bolivia on Aug. 23, 2019. The red areas are where surface temperatures exceeded the maximum measureable temperature of the instrument's sensor (approximately 220 degrees Fahrenheit or 104 degrees Celsius), highlighting the burning areas along the fire fronts. The dark wispy areas indicate thick smoke — thick enough that it obscures much of the fire from view. The measurements cover areas of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters) each, or about the size of a football field. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23357

STS068-267-079 (30 September-11 October 1994) --- The rear windows of the Space Shuttle Endeavour reflect sunlight in this view of part of the cargo bay, 115 nautical miles above the Earth. The Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2) Multipurpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS) is seen at bottom frame. Also partially seen are other experiments including other components of the primary payload. They are the antenna for the Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C), the X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR), the device for Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) and some Getaway Special (GAS) canisters.

STS068-272-075 (30 September-11 October 1994) --- The darkness of space forms the backdrop for this scene of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay, 115 nautical miles above a cloud covered Indian Ocean. The Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2) Multipurpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS) is seen at bottom frame. Also partially seen are other experiments including other components of the primary payload. They are the antenna for the Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C), the X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR), the device for Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) and some Getaway Special (GAS) canisters.

S85-26582 (Feb 1985) --- Training on the rebreathing assembly, astronaut James P. Bagian, STS-40 mission specialist, inhales a predetermined gas composition. A gas analyzer mass spectrometer determines the composition of the gases he exhales. The rebreathing assembly and gas analyzer system are part of an investigation that explores how lung function is altered. Dr. Bagian will be joined by two other mission specialists, the mission commander, the pilot and two payload specialists for the scheduled 10-day Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission. The flight is totally dedicated to biological and medical experimentation.

S85-26553 (Feb 1985) --- STS-40/SLS-1 payload specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford sits strapped in the special device scientists have developed for determining mass on orbit. As the chair swings back and forth, a timer records how much the crewmember's mass retards the chair's movement. Dr. Hughes-Fulford will be joined by three mission specialists, the mission commander, the pilot and a second payload specialist for the scheduled 10-day Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission. The flight is totally dedicated to biological and medical experimentation.

AS16-107-17442 (22 April 1972) --- A close-up view of the Apollo 16 Cosmic Ray Detector (CRD) experiment deployed at the +Y strut of the Lunar Module (LM). The crewmembers moved it to this position from near the deployment site of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) because, in the words of astronaut John W. Young, commander, "The panels were getting a little warm." Note that the LM did not skid upon landing, as evidenced by the landing contact probe's folded back (neatly) position and the lack of skid marks. While astronauts Young, and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

NASA's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) sensor measured the water-stress levels of plants when it passed over the Peruvian Amazon rainforest on Aug. 7, 2019, before the fires there began. The map shows areas of plants in distress (brown) and areas of less stress (blue). Water-stressed plants released measurably less water vapor into the air at the time of the summer fires. The fire icons represent fires imaged by NASA's Terra satellite between Aug. 19 and 26. The burn pattern reveals that the fires were concentrated in areas of highly water-stressed plants, pointing to how water-stressed plants can impact the spread of fires. The data may one day help NASA's Earth-observing missions predict the path of future forest or brush fires. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23432

This temperature map shows the stressed and dry vegetation surrounding the Apple fire in Southern California on Aug. 1, 2020. The observation was made possible by NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) that measured the temperature of the burn area and tracked the dark smoke plume drifting east from California to Arizona. ECOSTRESS collected this data when the space station passed over the region at about 1:15 p.m. PST on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, when the burn area was approximately 4,000 acres in size. Black smoke can be seen drifting east and over Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert. With a resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), the image enables surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field to be studied. In the active burn area, temperatures of between 390-1290 F (200-700 C) were recorded, and in one pixel in the ECOSTRESS image of the burn zone, a peak temperature of 1387 F (753 C) was detected. Tasked with detecting plant water use and stress, ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants as they heat up when they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like fires, heat waves, and volcanoes. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23798

This temperature map shows the land surface temperatures throughout Los Angeles County on Aug. 14, 2020. The observation was made possible by NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), which measured a peak land surface temperature in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of downtown Los Angeles, of 128.3 degrees Fahrenheit (53.5 degrees Celsius). ECOSTRESS collected this data as the space station passed over California at about 3:56 p.m. PDT (6:56 p.m. EDT) during a record-breaking heat wave that gripped the region. The Ranch fire, that burned near the city of Azuza was also detected by ECOSTRESS. With a resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), the image enables the study of surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field. The hottest temperatures are shown in dark red, with the coolest temperatures in blue. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants as they heat up when they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like heat waves, fires, and volcanoes. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23786

This temperature map shows the land surface temperatures around Death Valley in California's Mojave Desert on Aug. 16, 2020. The observation was made possible by NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), which measured a peak land surface temperature of 122.52 degrees Fahrenheit (50.29 degrees Celsius) near Furnace Creek. ECOSTRESS collected this data when the space station passed over California at about 8:50 a.m. PDT (11:50 a.m. EDT) during a record-breaking heat wave that gripped the region. With a resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), the image enables the study of surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field. The hottest temperatures are shown in dark red, with the coolest temperatures in blue. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants as they heat up when they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like heat waves, fires, and volcanoes. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23787

This observation shows the burn area and smoke plume created by the Apple fire in Southern California on Aug. 1, 2020. The observation was made possible by NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS). Data gathered by the mission can be further refined to measure the temperature of the wildfire, smoke plume and surrounding landscape. ECOSTRESS collected this data when the space station passed over the region at about 1:15 p.m. PST on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, when the burn area was approximately 4,000 acres in size. As of Aug. 3, it was more than 26,000 acres. Black smoke can be seen drifting east and over Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert. With a resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), the image enables surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field to be studied. Tasked with detecting plant water use and stress, ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants as they heat up when they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like fires, heat waves, and volcanoes. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23799

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), pictured at the bottom, and the Latching End Effector (LEE), pictured at the top, are integrated into the unpressurized SpaceX Dragon truck June 2, 2018, at the SpaceX facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The payloads will be carried to the International Space Station on SpaceX's 15th Commercial Resupply Services mission. ECOSTRESS will measure the temperature of plants and use that information to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stress. The Canadian Space Agency is supplying LEE for the Canadarm2 as a spare to replace a failed unit removed by astronauts during a spacewalk in 2017. Each end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm has an identical LEE, which acts like a "hand" to grapple payloads and visiting cargo spaceships.

NASA's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) imaged the temperature of Hurricane Dorian from the International Space Station on Sept. 6, 2019 as the storm made landfall in North Carolina. ECOSTRESS senses the amount of emitted infrared radiation from Earth, which is converted into an equivalent temperature scale in units of degrees Kelvin. In the image, red colors such as the well-defined eye represent warmer temperatures while purple/blue represent the cooler cloud top temperatures of strong storm clouds with the potential of producing heavy rain. The temperature patterns reveal fine cloud structures that contribute to the formation of the larger hurricane. The width of the image (~400 km) is based on what ECOSTRESS sees as the Space Station flies over any given spot on Earth. ECOSTRESS launched to the space station in June 2018. It can measure variations in temperature to within a few tenths of a degree and is able to detect temperature changes at various times of day over areas as small as a football field. ECOSTRESS' primary mission is to detect plant health from space; however, its measurements can be used to detect other heat-related phenomena — including urban heat, fires, and volcanic activity — as well. Although disaster response is not one of its primary objectives, these highly detailed hurricane temperature estimates can be used to improve weather models. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23422

A short-lived heat wave that hit the Los Angeles area the week of July 7, 2025, was the first of summer. The heat lingered into the evening hours, as captured by NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument. By nearly 8:45 p.m. local time July 9, surface temperatures in the San Fernando Valley were still over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). The ECOSTRESS sensor recorded similar temperatures for downtown Pasadena (Figure A) and parts of Altadena, east of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission. In these data visualizations, dark red indicates higher temperatures, while areas in blue and green are cooler. Coastal regions remained significantly cooler than inland areas. The ECOSTRESS instrument measures thermal infrared emissions from Earth's surface. This enables researchers to monitor plant health, the progress of wildfires, land surface temperatures, and the burn risk to people from hot surfaces such as asphalt. Land surface temperatures are hotter than air temperatures during the day. Air temperatures, which are measured out of direct sunlight, are usually what meteorologists report in a weather forecast. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26651

Paris was one of many European cities hit by a record-breaking heat wave at the end of June and early July 2025. NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument recorded surface temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) at 6:57 a.m. local time on July 1. Extreme daytime air temperatures – of over 100 degrees F (38 degrees C) – prompted officials to close the summit of the Eiffel Tower on July 1 and 2. In this visualization of ECOSTRESS data, dark red indicates higher temperatures while green and blue are cooler. The city is peppered with areas of several blocks where surface temperatures reached more than 80 F (27 C), including around the Eiffel Tower, before 7 a.m. The ECOSTRESS instrument measures thermal infrared emissions from Earth's surface. This enables researchers to monitor plant health, the progress of wildfires, land surface temperatures, and the burn risk to people from hot surfaces such as asphalt. Land surface temperatures are hotter than air temperatures during the day. Air temperatures, which are measured out of direct sunlight, are usually what meteorologists report in a weather forecast. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26190

On July 8, NASA's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument captured ground surface temperature data over California. In the image, areas in red – including Death Valley – had surpassed 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) by 7:16 a.m. local time, well above average ground surface temperatures for the area. Tasked with detecting plant water use and stress, ECOSTRESS's primary mission is to measure the temperature of plants heating up as they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like heat waves, wildfires, and volcanoes. ECOSTRESS observations have a spatial resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), which enables researchers to study surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field. Due to the space station's unique orbit, the mission can acquire images of the same regions at different times of the day, as opposed to crossing over each area at the same time of day like satellites in other orbits do. This is advantageous when monitoring plant stress in the same area throughout the day, for example. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23694

S85-26571 (Feb 1985) --- Wearing a special collar, Millie Hughes-Fulford, payload specialist, practices medical test operations scheduled for the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission. Robert Ward Phillips, backup payload specialist, looks on. The collar, called the baroflex neck pressure chamber, is designed to stimulate the bioceptors in the carotid artery, one of the two main arteries that supply blood to the head.

NASA's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) is aiding in the fight against fires in the Western U.S. As of July 27, 2021, the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon had ballooned to more than 410,000 acres, damaging hundreds of buildings and vehicles in its path. ECOSTRESS measures surface temperature from the vantage point of the International Space Station. Researchers of the RADR-Fire team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been experimenting with ECOSTRESS data as part of a new tool now being implemented for first responders like the U.S. Forest Service. In the visualization, ECOSTRESS is tracking the movement of the Bootleg Fire between July 7 and July and identifying its proximity to critical infrastructure — areas in red represent the hottest pixels ECOSTRESS detected. The extreme heat in those areas indicates the fire front, or where resources are most needed. Tasked with detecting plant water use and stress, ECOSTRESS's primary mission is to measure the temperature of plants heating up as they run out of water. But it can also measure and track heat-related phenomena like wildfires, heat waves, and volcanoes. ECOSTRESS observations have a spatial resolution of about 77 by 77 yards (70 by 70 meters), which enables researchers to study surface-temperature conditions down to the size of a football field. Due to the space station's unique orbit, the mission can acquire images of the same regions at different times of the day, as opposed to crossing over each area at the same time of day like satellites in other orbits do. This is advantageous when monitoring plant stress in the same area throughout the day, for example. Movie available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23695

Data from NASA's ECOSTRESS (Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station) instrument was used to map scorching pavement in Phoenix where contact with skin can cause serious burns. Based on measurements captured at 1:02 p.m. local time on June 19, 2024, the image shows land surface temperatures across a grid of roads and adjacent sidewalks, revealing how urban spaces can turn hazardous during hot weather. The Arizona city's miles of asphalt and concrete surfaces (colored here in yellow, red, and purple, based on temperature) trap heat, as the image indicates. The surfaces registered at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) to the touch – hot enough to cause contact burns in minutes to seconds. At the lower right of the image is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where ECOSTRESS recorded some of the hottest land surface temperatures within the city – around 140 F (60 C). The air temperature on June 19 at the airport reached 106 F (43 C). Air temperature, which is measured out of direct sunlight, can differ significantly from the temperature at the land surface. Streets are often the hottest surfaces of the built environment due to dark asphalt paving that absorbs more sunlight than lighter-colored surfaces; asphalt absorbs up to 95% of solar radiation. These types of surfaces can easily be 40 to 60 degrees F (22 to 33 degrees C) hotter than the air temperature on a very hot day. Launched to the International Space Station in 2018, ECOSTRESS measures temperatures at the highest spatial resolution of any space-based instrument, producing images with a typical pixel size of about 225 feet (70 meters) by 125 feet (38 meters). The image of Phoenix was produced at higher spatial resolution using a machine learning algorithm that incorporates data from additional satellites: NASA/USGS Landsat and Sentinel-2. The combined measurements were used to "sharpen" the surface temperatures to a resolution of 100 feet (30 meters) by 100 feet (30 meters). https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25529

Data from NASA's ECOSTRESS (Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station) instrument aboard the International Space Station shows three wildfires burning in the mountains east and southeast of the Los Angeles area on Sept. 10, 2024. The Bridge Fire started Sept. 8 in the Angeles National Forest during an intense heat wave that blanketed the area for about a week. As of Sept. 13, the fire was only 3% contained. The Line Fire started Sept. 5 in Highland, within San Bernardino County, and spread toward the mountain communities of Running Springs and Big Bear. After more than a week of battling the blaze, firefighters had the conflagration 21% contained. The Airport Fire ignited Sept. 9 in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains east of the Orange County city of Irvine and spread into Riverside County. As of Sept. 13, it was 8% contained. The ECOSTRESS instrument measures the temperature of the land rather than air temperatures that most people are familiar with in weather forecasts. Bright white spots in the active fire areas in the visual above indicate a land surface temperature of over 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius). Dark red represents areas closer to 100 F (38 C). https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26187

STS-53 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Department of Defense (DOD) mission Hand-held Earth-oriented Real-time Cooperative, User-friendly, Location, targeting, and Environmental System (Hercules) spaceborne experiment equipment is documented in this table top view. HERCULES is a joint NAVY-NASA-ARMY payload designed to provide real-time high resolution digital electronic imagery and geolocation (latitude and longitude determination) of earth surface targets of interest. HERCULES system consists of (from left to right): a specially modified GRID Systems portable computer mounted atop NASA developed Playback-Downlink Unit (PDU) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) developed HERCULES Attitude Processor (HAP); the NASA-developed Electronic Still Camera (ESC) Electronics Box (ESCEB) including removable imagery data storage disks and various connecting cables; the ESC (a NASA modified Nikon F-4 camera) mounted atop the NRL HERCULES Inertial Measurement Unit (HIMU) containing the three-axis ring-laser gyro.

A relentless heat wave has blanketed India and Pakistan since mid-March 2022, causing dozens of deaths, fires, increased air pollution, and reduced crop yields. NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station instrument (ECOSTRESS) has been measuring these temperatures from space, at the highest spatial resolution of any satellite instrument. This image, taken shortly before local midnight on May 5, shows urban areas and agricultural lands northwest of Delhi that are home to about 28 million people. The image covers about 4,800 square miles (12,350 square kilometers). Cities are usually markedly warmer than the surrounding countryside due to human activities and the materials used in the built environment. The image clearly delineates these urban "heat islands." Nighttime temperatures in Delhi and several smaller villages were above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), peaking at about 102 degrees F (39 degrees C), while the rural fields nearby had cooled to around 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). This data suggests that city dwellers are experiencing considerably higher temperatures than the average temperatures reported for their regions. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of the ground itself, which is very similar to air temperature at night (though the ground may be warmer than the air in daylight hours). The instrument launched to the space station in 2018. Its primary mission is to identify plants' thresholds for water use and water stress, giving insight into their ability to adapt to a warming climate. However, ECOSTRESS also records other heat-related phenomena like this heat wave. Its high-resolution images, with a pixel size of about 225 feet (70 meters) by 125 feet (38 meters), are a powerful tool for understanding aspects of the weather event that might be overlooked by traditional observation networks. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24987

NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument recorded this image of ground surface temperatures in Houston and its environs on June 20, 2022, at 6:29 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Even just after sunrise, manmade urban surfaces near the city center and transportation networks – streets, roads, and highways shown in red and orange – were significantly warmer than the outskirts by up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Clouds, which are cool compared with the ground, are shown in blue and labeled in the image. Cities are usually warmer than open land because of human activities and the materials used in building and construction. Streets are often the hottest part of the built environment due to asphalt paving. Dark-colored surfaces absorb more heat from the Sun than lighter-colored ones; asphalt absorbs up to 95% of solar radiation and retains the heat for hours into the nighttime. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of the ground, which is hotter than the air temperature during the daytime. The instrument launched to the space station in 2018. Its primary mission is to identify plants' thresholds for water use and water stress, giving insight into their ability to adapt to a warming climate. However, ECOSTRESS is also useful for documenting other heat-related phenomena, like patterns of heat absorption and retention. Its high-resolution images, with a pixel size of about 225 feet (70 meters) by 125 feet (38 meters), are a powerful tool for understanding our environment. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25421

NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument recorded this image of ground surface temperatures in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, on June 20, 2022, at 7:17 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Even early in the day, manmade urban surfaces near city centers and transportation networks – streets, roads, and highways shown in red and orange – are warmer than the outskirts by up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The paved surfaces at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, shown in red near the top-center of the image, had the warmest temperatures, exceeding 86 F (30 C). Natural land surfaces such as vegetation and streams in rural areas, shown in green and blue, are cooler than nearby large bodies of water, shown in red and yellow, that tend to retain more heat overnight due to their higher heat capacity. Cities are usually warmer than open land because of human activities and the materials used in building and construction. Streets are often the hottest part of the built environment due to asphalt paving. Dark-colored surfaces absorb more heat from the Sun than lighter-colored ones; asphalt absorbs up to 95% of solar radiation and retains the heat for hours into the nighttime. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of the ground, which is hotter than the air temperature during the daytime. The instrument launched to the space station in 2018. Its primary mission is to identify plants' thresholds for water use and water stress, giving insight into their ability to adapt to a warming climate. However, ECOSTRESS is also useful for documenting other heat-related phenomena, like patterns of heat absorption and retention. Its high-resolution images, with a pixel size of about 225 feet (70 meters) by 125 feet (38 meters), are a powerful tool for understanding our environment. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25422

The Western United States has been entrenched in an Extreme and Exceptional drought that has extended from the summer and into the fall of 2020. NASA's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) imaged the drought on Oct. 16, 2020, and compared the same area to an image from ECOSTRESS taken a year earlier on Oct. 16, 2019. The bottom image shows the percentage change in plant water stress from 2019 to 2020. The images at left zoom into the Arizona and New Mexico border and Navajo Nation Territory area, featuring the ECOSTRESS Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), which shows plant water stress. The inset images on the right zoom further into the region, showing circular agricultural fields that have been irrigated. Blue colors represent low stress and high water use, whereas red colors represent high stress and low water use. Irrigation is able to alleviate plant water stress in many of the fields while the surrounding landscape suffers from the drought, though numerous agricultural fields are shut down in the drought image. The primary mission of ECOSTRESS, which launched to the International Space Station in June 2018, is to provide insight into plants' health, especially in a drought, by taking their temperature. Plants regulate their temperature by releasing water through tiny pores on their leaves. With sufficient water, they can maintain their temperature. When they lack water, their temperatures rise; ECOSTRESS can measure this change. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24132

NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument recorded this image of ground surface temperatures in London and surrounding areas on July 15, 2022, just before midnight local time. It shows surface temperatures exceeding 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) at 11:57 p.m. British Summer Time. Parts of Europe in mid-July experienced a record-breaking heat wave. The United Kingdom reaching its highest air temperature on record on July 19, 104.5 F (40.3 C) in Coningsby, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of London, which itself saw a high of 104.3 F (40.2 C) the same day. That evening, the overnight low was also a record-breaker: 78.4 F (25.8 C) at Kenley Airfield in Greater London. In this image, the red areas indicate hotter temperatures commonly associated with developed areas. These surfaces – roofs, paved streets, and other built structures – remain warm long after the sun sets. Blue and green areas indicate cooler areas commonly associated with parks and other natural land surfaces. Because this image was acquired at night, it shows bodies of water being warmer than the land surface. This is because water tends to change temperature more slowly, so its temperature stays elevated long after land surfaces have cooled down. Cities are usually warmer than open land with natural surfaces because of human activities as well as the materials used in building and construction. Streets are often the hottest part of the built environment due to asphalt paving. Dark-colored surfaces absorb more heat from the Sun than lighter-colored ones; asphalt absorbs up to 95% of solar radiation and retains the heat for hours into nighttime. This image overlays ECOSTRESS surface temperature data on a Google satellite map for context. ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of the ground, which is hotter than the air temperature during the daytime. The instrument launched to the space station in 2018. Its primary mission is to identify plants' thresholds for water use and water stress, giving insight into their ability to adapt to a warming climate. However, ECOSTRESS is also useful for documenting other heat-related phenomena, like patterns of heat absorption and retention. Its high-resolution images, with a pixel size of about 225 feet (70 meters) by 125 feet (38 meters), are a powerful tool for understanding our environment. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25423