Earth from space — Incredible images of our planet from above

Earth from space This 2012 satellite photo shows a quartet of near-identical glaciers on Canada's Ellesmere Island. The ice masses help to spark life in the otherwise barren Arctic environment.

Earth from space This 2014 satellite photo shows a cloud of haze sitting in the Kashmir Valley in the Himalayas. The ethereal "lake" consists mainly of smog and other pollutants from nearby factories.

Earth from space This 2015 photo from the International Space Station showcases the deep tidal channels that cut through a line of cays in the Bahamas. Astronauts say it is "one of the most recognizable points on the planet."

Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured a patch of snow-covered sea ice with an uncannily similar shape to badges pinned on the uniforms of Starfleet officers in the "Star Trek" franchise.

Earth from space In 2011, a ghostly depression, known as "the mitten," appeared on the surface of and ice sheet in Greenland after the unprecedented collapse of a concealed subglacial lake.

Earth from space A pair of 2015 astronaut photos taken just minutes apart shows the eye of tropical cyclone Bansi illuminated by two lightning strikes as the storm raged in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.

Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured an unusual "double rainbow" glory appearing next to an unconnected chain of rare vortices in the clouds above Mexico's Guadalupe Island.

Earth from space A recent landslide along the banks of a river in British Columbia completely dammed the waterway, leading to evacuation warnings and potentially dooming an endangered fish population trapped on the wrong side of the debris.

Earth from space This 2014 satellite photo shows a gigantic, multicolor phytoplankton bloom swirling off the coast of Argentina. More recent research has shown that similarly massive algal outbreaks may become less likely in the future thanks to climate change.

Earth from space A 2021 satellite photo captured rare, wispy streaks of ice stretching across an ocean channel separating the Ronne Ice Shelf and a patch of multi-year sea ice in Antarctica.