Gallery: The Best Earth Pics From the Newest Landsat Satellite

  • Landsat 8 composite image of the U.S.
    Photos by Courtesy David Roy, USGS-NASA WELD product
    01

    landsat-8-us48-2400

    A composite, nearly cloudless map of the contiguous United States made from Landsat 8 images. *Open gallery in full-screen mode for bigger images and more info.*
  • Piqiang fault China
    Photos by Robert Simmon and Jesse Allen, NASA/USGS
    02

    faulting-oli-2013211-2400-34

    Look closely at the center of this image taken by Landsat 8 on July 13, 2013 and you will see the Piqiang fault in China's Xinjiang province.
  • Mount Shasta
    Photos by Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    03

    shasta-oli-2014004-2000-34

    Mount Shasta is uncharacteristically bare of snow in this image taken by Landsat 8 on Jan. 4, 2014.
  • The London Array wind farm
    Photos by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    04

    IDL TIFF file

    The white dots laid out in a grid in this image taken by Landsat 8 on April 28, 2013 are part of the world's largest wind farm.
  • Clearwater Lakes
    Photos by Robert Simmon and Jesse Allen, NASA/USGS
    05

    IDL TIFF file

    Clearwater Lakes in northwestern Quebec, shown here in an image taken by Landsat 8 on June 29, 2013.
  • Grand Canyon
    Photos by Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    06

    dolansprings-oli-2013088-canyon-2400

    The Grand Canyon captured by Landsat 8 on March 30, 2013.
  • Pine Island glacier
    Photos by Holli Riebeek, NASA/USGS
    07

    PineIslandGlacier-oli-2013317-2400-34

    A large iceberg breaks off of Antarctica's Pine Island glacier in this image taken by Landsat 8 on Nov. 13, 2013.
  • Amazon deforestation
    Photos by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    08

    IDL TIFF file

    Landsat 8 spotted new deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon on Aug. 28, 2013.
  • Salton Sea
    Photos by Matthew Montanaro and Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    09

    saltonsea-oli-2013083-2400-34

    The Salton Sea and surrounding farmland captured by Landsat 8 on March 24, 2013.
  • Flooding in Colorado
    10

    IDL TIFF file

    The South Platte River is 6 feet above flood stage near Greeley, Colorado in this image taken by Landsat 8 on Sep. 17, 2013.
  • indonesian volcano erupts
    Photos by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    11

    IDL TIFF file

    Paluweh Island in Indonesia erupts on Sep. 4, 2013 in this image captured by Landsat 8.
  • Yosemite's Rim fire scar
    Photos by Robert Simmon, NASA/USGS
    12

    rimfire-oli-2013259-2400-34

    The burn scar from the Rim fire in the Yosemite area can be seen in grey in this image captured on Sept. 16, 2013 by Landsat 8.
Read More
Save With Our KitchenAid Promo Codes This April
Save on every purchase with top KitchenAid coupons from WIRED, including up to 20% off countertop appliances.
Molly Higgins
Top Design Within Reach Promo Codes for April 2026
Get 30% off, 20% off, and free shipping with our Design Within Reach coupon codes, plus up to 50% off furniture with these special discounts.
Nena Farrell
Top Sam's Club Promo Codes and Membership Deals for April 2026
Save on bulk groceries, household essentials, and electronics with a verified Sam's Club promo code or membership discount.
Molly Higgins
Target Promo Codes for April 2026
Get $50 off your next order or up to 50% off site wide with Target coupon codes and Circle deals.
Molly Higgins
US Special Forces Soldier Arrested for Polymarket Bets on Maduro Raid
The master sergeant allegedly used classified intel to profit on the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, marking the first US arrest for insider trading on a prediction market.
Kate Knibbs
Newly Deciphered Sabotage Malware May Have Targeted Iran’s Nuclear Program—and Predates Stuxnet
Researchers have finally cracked Fast16, mysterious code capable of silently tampering with calculation and simulation software. It was created in 2005—and likely deployed by the US or an ally.
Andy Greenberg
Rednote Draws a Line Between China and the World
As the platform expands abroad, it’s taking steps to separate Chinese users from the international audiences it once brought together.
Zeyi Yang
Apple’s Next Chapter, SpaceX and Cursor Strike a Deal, and Palantir’s Controversial Manifesto
In this week’s episode of Uncanny Valley, we talk about Tim Cook’s legacy as CEO at Apple and what his long-rumored departure means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies.
Brian Barrett
At 'AI Coachella,' Stanford Students Line Up to Learn From Silicon Valley Royalty
CS 153 has gone viral on the Palo Alto campus—and on X. Not everyone is happy about it.
Maxwell Zeff
Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
Makena Kelly
This Is the Only Office Lamp That Does Double Duty on My Nightstand
Portable lamps are rarely, if ever, as powerful, precise, and multipurpose as the Lume Cube Edge Light Go.
Matthew Korfhage
These New Smart Glasses From Ex-OnePlus Engineers Have a Hidden Cost
The Kickstarter-funded glasses from L'Atitude 52°N have AI features bundled for one year, but the company doesn't know yet how much it will charge for access after that.
Boone Ashworth