video: NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites constantly circle the globe, completing their orbits every 90 minutes. They give us invaluable information about everything from our weather and climate, to the way we use our land, to the air we breathe. This video highlights some of the newest satellites in the fleet, including the versatile Suomi National Polar-orbiting (NPP) satellite, a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Aquarius, which measures sea surface salinity and is a joint project between NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina. While many of the images are "true color" or photorealistic in nature, this video also includes data visualizations, which help scientists see data in useful new ways, and computer models, which help us understand interconnected Earth systems and make projections into the future. For more of NASA's best images from 2012, check out our Earth Month web interactive: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/earthmonth2013/index.html view more
Credit: NASA