Space is a mysterious place where billions of galaxies, stars, asteroids, meteoroids, and celestial phenomena exist. However, our planet Earth, too, has some amazing features that amaze scientists and make them wonder why this wonder exists.

Check these five spectacular NASA images from Earth to stay updated with all the happenings in space.

On New Zealand’s North Island, Mount Taranaki is surrounded by a circular piece of land that was first formally protected as a forest reserve in 1881. It was declared New Zealand’s second national park in 1900 and is often snowcapped at the centerpiece of Egmont National Park.

The Landsat 8 satellite captured this image in June 2023, where the peak of Mount Taranaki is white with snow, while its base is almost perfectly surrounded by circular dark green area and followed by a lighter green landscape.

Another image captured by Landsat 8 satellite on September 7, 2024,shows particular weather patterns and topography on the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island. The elongated lenticular cloud formation is referred as ‘Taieri Pet’.

The lenticular clouds form when prevailing winds encounter a topographic barrier, such as a mountain range. The wind that is forced to flow up and over the mountains creates a kind of wave in the atmosphere. The air cools at the wave’s crest, and the water vapour it contains condenses into clouds. Conversely, falling air leads to warming and evaporation.

The cloud seen here is puffy and white and has defined edges, while the right side of the image is covered by blue water of the Pacific Ocean.

The International Space Station captured an image of Greece’s western coastline and neighbouring islands on December 6, 2020. The islands of Kastos, Kalamos, Meganisi, and Lefkada are visible in the Ionian Sea, which is known for its warm and clear blue waters.

It is located between Italy and Greece, highlighting the rugged topography of the Acarnanian Mountains and the surrounding area along Greece’s western coast.

The next image captured by NASA scientists via satellite image of the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland shows northern Greenland in summer, where a glacier ends in a blue inlet of exposed ocean water. The water and glacier are surrounded by grey mountains covered in white snow and ice.

The dark blue ocean water is exposed in the center of the image, while opaque clouds partially obscure it.

Southern Siberia’s Lake Baikal is the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world and likely one of the oldest.

Lake Baikal is 640 kilometers (395 miles) long and up to 1,700 meters (1 mile) deep. According to Unesco, it was formed about 25 million years ago.

The image was taken by the International Space Station in January 2024. Snow and ice brighten sparsely vegetated land, whereas forested areas appear darker. The brightest spots in the image are cities, including the large industrial city of Irkutsk to the left of the lake.