$Decades of satellite observations and astronaut photographs show that clouds dominate space-based views of Earth. One study based on nearly a decade of satellite data estimated that about 67 percent of Earth’s surface is typically covered by clouds. This is especially the case over the oceans, where other research shows less than 10 percent of the sky is completely clear of clouds at any one time. Over land, 30 percent of skies are completely cloud free. Earth’s cloudy nature is unmistakable in this global cloud fraction map, based on data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. While MODIS collects enough data to make a new global map of cloudiness every day, this version of the map shows an average of all of the satellite’s cloud observations between July 2002 and April 2015. Colors range from dark blue (no clouds) to light blue (some clouds) to white (frequent clouds).$

Cloudy Earth

Decades of satellite observations and astronaut photographs show that clouds dominate space-based views of Earth. One study based on nearly a decade of satellite data estimated that about 67 percent of Earth’s surface is typically covered by clouds. This is especially the case over the oceans, where other research shows less than 10 percent of the sky is completely clear of clouds at any one time. Over land, 30 percent of skies are completely cloud free. Earth’s cloudy nature is unmistakable in this global cloud fraction map, based on data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. While MODIS collects enough data to make a new global map of cloudiness every day, this version of the map shows an average of all of the satellite’s cloud observations between July 2002 and April 2015. Colors range from dark blue (no clouds) to light blue (some clouds) to white (frequent clouds).

From Cloudy to Clear

Cloudy Image of Cerberus Rupes Dark Lineation

Hubble Look at Mars Shows Canyon Dust Storm, Cloudy Conditions for Pathfinder Landing

A cloudy Indian Ocean southwest of Perth, Australia

iss072e397138 (Dec. 19, 2024) --- The Himalayas separate the arid steppe of China's Tibetan Plateau from a cloudy Indian subcontinent in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 261 miles above Asia.

The Himalayas separate China from a cloudy India

The aurora australis swirls over a cloudy Pacific Ocean

The sunset casts long, cloudy shadows over Japan

An orbital sunrise breaks above a cloudy Atlantic Ocean

The Sun's glint beams off a partly cloudy Indian Ocean

The sun's glint beams off a partly cloudy Atlantic Ocean

The aurora australis arcs above a partly cloudy Indian Ocean

iss058e013234 (Feb. 13, 2019) --- The International Space Station was flying 256 miles above Canada when an Expedition 58 crew member, looking north to south, photographed Lake Superior and Lake Michigan surrounded by the cloudy and frozen terrain of the North American continent.

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan surrounded by the cloudy and frozen terrain of the North American continent.

iss073e0044592 (April 28, 2025) --- Partially obscured, at bottom right, is the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's forward port on the International Space Station. At left, are a set of the orbital outpost's main solar arrays and rollout solar arrays. The space station was orbiting 262 miles above a cloudy North America at the time of this photograph.

The space station orbits above a cloudy North America

Sunrise above Earth's horizon begins illuminating a cloudy Indian Ocean

The sun's glint beams off a partly cloudy southern Pacific Ocean

The aurora australis arcs back and forth above a partly cloudy Indian Ocean

iss073e0983131 (Sept. 21, 2025) --- A partly cloudy Korean Peninsula, surrounded by the sun's glint reflecting off the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above Earth off the coast of western Japan.

A partly cloudy Korean Peninsula surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

City lights dot the cloudy, midwestern landscape of the United States

iss072e842757 (March 15, 2025) --- City lights dot the cloudy, midwestern landscape of the United States with a wispy aurora above Earth's horizon in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the Sunflower State of Kansas. In the bottom foreground, is the Kibo laboratory module's Exposed Facility, an external research platform, and the orbital outpost's main solar arrays.

iss072e188529 (Nov. 13, 2024) --- The International Space Station soars into an orbital sunset 259 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean northwest of the Hawaiian island chain. At left, the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship is pictured docked to the Rassvet module. At center, the Prichal docking module and the European robotic arm are pictured attached to the Nauka science module.

The International Space Station soars into an orbital sunset above a cloudy Pacific Ocean

iss073e0868771 (Oct. 9, 2025) --- This tranquil view from the International Space Station captures the Kibo laboratory module with its Exposed Facility, a portion of the station’s main solar arrays (right), and part of the Canadarm2 robotic arm (left). The photograph was taken during an orbital sunset as the station soared 270 miles above a cloudy Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Africa.

The International Space Station orbits above a cloudy Atlantic Ocean

Peering over the shoulder of giant Saturn, through its rings, and across interplanetary space, NASA Cassini spacecraft spies the bright, cloudy terrestrial planet, Venus.

Cassini Spies Bright Venus from Saturn Orbit

Layered Deposits in Terby Crater

This NASA Mars Odyssey image was taken during winter in the southern hemisphere, meaning that the usually cloudy Hellas Basin is relatively free from clouds.

Winter in Hellas Basin

This artist concept, based on spectral observations from NASA Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope, shows a cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star.

Exotic Atmospheres Artist Concept

This VIS image shows a layer of clouds over the South polar cap. Orbit Number: 75301 Latitude: -84.8947 Longitude: 243.682 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-05 13:05 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22901

The Soyuz MS-25 crew ship docked to the Prichal docking module

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Arabsat communications satellite deploying from Discovery's payload bay

S65-18752 (23 March 1965) --- View of a cloudy part of Earth as seen from the Gemini-3 spacecraft while in orbit.

GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-3 - EARTH - SKY VIEW - MADAGASCAR (MALAGASY)

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A small piece of thermal insulation tile floats in space near the Shuttle Columbia. The cloudy surface of the earth is used as a background.

Piece of thermal insulation tile floats near the Shuttle Columbia

Splotchy water ice clouds obscure the surface in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, however, most of Mars was in a relatively clear period when this image was acquired.

A Cloudy Day on Mars

Partly Cloudy on Pluto?

Pluto's present, hazy atmosphere is almost entirely free of clouds, though scientists from NASA's New Horizons mission have identified some cloud candidates after examining images taken by the New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager and Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera, during the spacecraft's July 2015 flight through the Pluto system. All are low-lying, isolated small features -- no broad cloud decks or fields -- and while none of the features can be confirmed with stereo imaging, scientists say they are suggestive of possible, rare condensation clouds. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21127

Cloudy Waves (False Color)

Clouds on Saturn take on the appearance of strokes from a cosmic brush thanks to the wavy way that fluids interact in Saturn's atmosphere. Neighboring bands of clouds move at different speeds and directions depending on their latitudes. This generates turbulence where bands meet and leads to the wavy structure along the interfaces. Saturn's upper atmosphere generates the faint haze seen along the limb of the planet in this image. This false color view is centered on 46 degrees north latitude on Saturn. The images were taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on May 18, 2017 using a combination of spectral filters which preferentially admit wavelengths of near-infrared light. The image filter centered at 727 nanometers was used for red in this image; the filter centered at 750 nanometers was used for blue. (The green color channel was simulated using an average of the two filters.) The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 750,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) from Saturn. Image scale is about 4 miles (7 kilometers) per pixel. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21341

During southern summer, clouds are a common occurrence over the south polar cap. These dust clouds started as small dust devils visible near the top right corner of this VIS image. Orbit Number: 74905 Latitude: -86.5764 Longitude: 176.548 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-11-02 22:20 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22900

Another Cloudy Day

Cloudy Day - False Color

The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The faint bluish white tone in this image is actually clouds. Images like this help in understanding ongoing atmospheric changes on Mars. Clouds on Mars are created by dust lifted from the surface or ice haze at altitude. This image is located in Noachis Terra. Orbit Number: 58705 Latitude: -28.157 Longitude: 7.04417 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-03-09 12:08 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20075

This image shows the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. Showing temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, the infrared data is taken by NASA Spitzer Space Telescope.

First Map of Alien World animation

View of the International Space Station (ISS) over a cloudy Earth following undocking at 1:13 p.m. (CST),December 9,2000 during the STS-97 flight.

View of the ISS during Endeavour's flyaround after undocking

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Telstar 3-D communications satellite deploying from Discovery's payload bay

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View of a single engine orbital maneuvering system (OMS) firing on the Discovery. The payload bay is open and the protective canisters for the AUSSAT communications satellite (open) and the ASC-1 are visible. A cloudy Earth's horizon can be seen above the orbiter.

View of the firing of a single engine OMS

iss063e050668 (July 18, 2020) --- The sun's glint beams off a partly cloudy South Pacific as the International Space Station's orbital track took it halfway between Australia and South America.

Earth Observations taken by EHDC2

A bright green aurora borealis streams above Earth's surface

S61-01918 (5 May 1961) --- Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) spaceflight Earth observations of a cloudy Earth surface. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mercury-Redstone (MR)-3 - Flight Earth Observations

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51D-32-013 (12 April 1985) --- A view of the Syncom IV (LEASAT) framed against a cloudy earth's surface after its deployment from the shuttle Discovery.

Deployment of the Syncom IV (LEASAT) during STS 51-D mission

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station

The SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft approaches the International Space Station

Jupiter's Bands

Jupiter's banded appearance is created by the cloud-forming "weather layer." In this composite image, the image on the left show's Jupiter's thermal energy being emitted in infrared light, with dark cloudy bands appearing as silhouettes against Jupiter's thermal glow. The image on the right shows Jupiter's appearance in visible light, with white cloudy "zones" and the relatively cloud-free "belts" appearing as red-brown colors. The composite was created using infrared data collected by the Gemini North telescope (left) and a visible-light image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Both images were created from data captured on Jan. 11, 2017. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24818

Cloudy Skies over Hypanis Vallis

This observation from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbite shows a candidate 2018 European Space Agency ExoMars landing site in Hypanis Vallis. Instead of imaging ancient fluvial deposits (thought to be the remnants of a delta feed lake), the image shows patchy concentrations of dust clouds. These clouds are part of the annually occurring Acidalia storm track, a regional dust storm system that originates in the Acidalia-Chryse-Kasei region and propagates southward into equatorial Valles Marineris and beyond. While this image is only partially obscured by dust, many others captured around this time frame were completely dominated by think clouds of dust. For example, this image in Capri Chasma was rendered useless for geology and will have to be reacquired. Landing by the ExoMars rover in these kinds of atmospheric conditions would be complicated. That mission is set to touchdown on Mars in January 2019, hopefully with clear skies. HiRISE will continue to image Hypanis Vallis and other interesting sites on Mars despite the changing weather. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19846