Among the many other tremendous characteristics about NASA, one and foremost is the quantity of open-access and free content it uses to upload for general public to relish. Continuing with this passion, Japan’s Ministry of Economy and NASA have openly issued around 3 million pictures from their databank of thermal emission pictures specifying 99% of the Earth’s surface.

The Terra spacecraft of NASA is involved in taking pictures of Earth from 1999 utilizing (ASTER) Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer of Japan. Among these sixteen plus years of tireless work, it has taken some implausible sights, containing the repercussion of the floods in Pakistani, drought in North Korea, volcanic eruptions in Iceland, the Venetian canals, sand dunes in Namibia, bushfires in California, and even the leftovers of Iraq’s sulfur plant fire.

It is interesting to tell you that ASTER possesses the capability to capture reflectance and temperature of land surface. Besides this magical effect, it combines 2 slightly balanced 2-dimensional images in order to generate the impact of 3 dimensions. With the help of this 3-pronged attack, it becomes able to measure all aspects of environmental and geological circumstances.

These 2.95 million scenes released by NASA can be seen via Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. You can also enjoy a relatively smaller yet comparatively easily access on the official website of ASTER. There are a huge amount images, however, we are displaying some collection of best images out there. Scroll down to enjoy the most prettiest, interesting and insightful images collection.

North Koreans faced a severe drought in. It was the worst ever drought in its history of 100 years which killed hundreds of thousands of people. The picture compares the vegetation levels in (right) and 2002 (left).

Deposits of sand, gravel, and salt in China.

The famous islands and canals of Venice, located in Italy.

Lava eruption from the Mt Etna located in Sicily in 2001 summers.

March volcano eruption of Nicaragua’s Momotombo. You can see the hot lava in yellow.

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Here in this picture you can see the Suez Canal. It is the artificial watercourse next to Egypt connecting the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

2003 fire in Mosul at an industrial sulfur plant, Iraq.