NPP Blue Marble

Released Tuesday, July 17, 2012

ID: 30002

A 'Blue Marble' image of the Earth taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite - Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012. The NPP satellite was renamed 'Suomi NPP' on January 24, 2012 to honor the late Verner E. Suomi of the University of Wisconsin.

Suomi NPP is NASA's next Earth-observing research satellite. It is the first of a new generation of satellites that will observe many facets of our changing Earth.

Suomi NPP is carrying five instruments on board. The biggest and most important instrument is The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite or VIIRS.

The full NPP 'Blue Marble' image of the Earth

Suomi NPP Blue Marble to show much of the western United States.

Suomi NPP Blue Marble cropped to show much of the eastern United States.

Cropped version of the Suomi NPP Blue Marble Image showing Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

Cropped version of the Suomi NPP Blue Marble Image showing the Pacific Ocean and the lower right limb of the Earth.

Cropped version of the Suomi NPP Blue Marble Image showing Central America and the Caribbean.

Cropped version of the Suomi NPP Blue Marble Image showing the Pacific Ocean and the lower left limb of the Earth.

Cropped version of the Suomi NPP Blue Marble Image showing much of the Southwestern United States and Mexico, including a very good view of the Baja Peninsula.