FINESSE logo: Faculty Institutes for NASA Earth and Space Science Education

Data Sets

 

Earth Data --Climate Specific

Earth Climatic data include broad analyses of temperatures, vegetation, atmosphere, sea levels, but does not include earthquakes, volcanism, lightning, populations, or precipitation and water resources sites. Data are divided into more simple numeric data (tied to more easily understood concepts), graphic data (images and movies), and more challenging data (which can be difficult to identify or with more advanced variables, or variables more difficult to define).

Simple Numeric Data Sites

My NASA Data
Data, lesson plans, and computer tools on a broad variety of Earth science data (land, atmosphere, ocean).

Long-Term Daily and Monthly Climate Records
These data are fairly easy to examine, from a variety of cities and towns throughout the US. The Web Interface works well and is easy to understand; the FTP data is compressed in a manner that your computer might not be familiar with.

The Globe Program
Earth science data (soil, atmosphere, plants and birds, etc.) gathered by students from around the world, and available by location.

Weather Underground
Look up the temperatures, humidity, precipitation, wind for a given date and location.

Students Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL)
Learn how students are helping NASA study the ways in which clouds may affect the Earth's climate. Students data from around the world is available for analysis.

Sea Level Station Data
Latest "fast delivery" sea level station data To obtain these data click on monthly, daily, or hourly for the frequency of data you want and then save the data to your local disk. Select plot to preview monthly data.

Sea Level Deviations
This file contains the time series of the deviations of sea level from the 1975 through 1995 mean sea level value computed at each station. The time series cover the period 1975 through 2003.

 

Graphic Data Sites

My NASA Data
Data, lesson plans, and computer tools

Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth
This site has interactive data graphs available on arctic sea ice, carbon dioxide levels, sea level, global temperatures, and land ice.

GISS Surface Temperature Analysis
Global maps, graphs, animations, and more to examine temperatures.

Integrated Vegetation Mapping Viewer
Satellite derived vegetation index maps of the contiguous United States have been available since 1989. The vegetation index maps, or more commonly called "greenness" maps, are produced every week using the latest information on the growth.

Earth Observatory Global Maps
NASA satellites give us a global view of what’s happening on our planet. To explore how key parts of Earth’s climate system change from month to month, click on one of the maps below or select from the complete list on the left.

Earth from Space
A clickable map of the world, with satellite images, and search options for cities, landscapes, human interactions, distinctive features, hurricanes and weather, water habitats, and geographic regions.

Climate Maps of the United States
In here you will find over 2000 climate maps of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. These full color maps are available for climatic elements such as temperature, precipitation, snow, wind, pressure, etc., chosen to portray the climate.

SSEC Data Center and Galleries
Links to a variety of real-time imagery and data: SSEC Data Center Provides access, maintenance and distribution of real-time and archive weather and satellite data. SSEC Galleries: picture galleries: Antarctica / Polar, Field Experiments,...

NASA Earth Observations
Welcome to NEO -- NASA Earth Observations. Our mission is to help you picture climate change and environmental changes happening on our home planet. Here you can search for and retrieve satellite images of Earth. Download them; export them to Google, and more.

MESSENGER Mercury ACT-REACT Quick Map
This site allows you to examine MESSENGER visual data for Mercury using various map projections, and search for features.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) ACT-REACT Quick Map
This site allows you to examine LRO visual data for the Moon using various map projections, and search for features.

 

Challenging Data Sites

Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy
This requires a login, but just for them to send you updates. This site provides a large variety of options: over 200 satellite-derived meteorology and solar energy parameters, data tables for a particular location, color plots on both global and regional scales, and global solar energy data for 1195 ground sites.

Earth System Science Data and Services
This site manages and distributes data products through the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). The centers process, archive, document, and distribute data from NASA’s past and current research satellites and field programs.

Global Change Master Directory
A catalogue of data collections, with data sets by topic ranging from biology to human impacts on evolution, spectral and engineering, and Sun-Earth interactions.

Global Observing Systems Information Center
This site provides an information center that facilitates the search of and access to data, data products, metadata and information for climate, oceans, and land.

National Geophysical Data Center
NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provides scientific stewardship, products, and services for geophysical data from the Sun to the Earth and Earth's sea floor and solid earth environment, including Earth observations from space.

National Climatic Data Center
A variety of data sets and publications

Hurricane Portal
Includes data analysis tool, gallery, and more with images from satellites.

Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Info Services
A variety of data and information about various NASA Earth satellites and their observations. Broken out by missions, which may be unfamiliar to casual user; this connects to multiple sites.

Earth System Research Lab: Global Monitoring
Plots and maps of greenhouse gas, carbon emissions, ozone, solar radiation, methane, and more. Data is graphic; the variety of data, and units of measurement may be confusing.

Ocean Color Web
Includes a variety of browsers and products: visually search and download data on the ocean color, time series plots of images, and more. Does not define the variety of options and variables for the user.


 

Earth Data--Precipitation and Water Resources

These data include the Sun, planets, moons. asteroids, and comets as well as processes such as impacts, volcanism, etc,. Data are divided into more simple numeric data (tied to more easily understood concepts), graphic data (images and movies), and more challenging data (which can be difficult to identify or with more advanced variables, or variables more difficult to define).

Simple Numeric Data Sites

Precipitation Frequency
Provides information by state, including the type of precipitation, duration, location, and more.

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail ... ).

Weather Underground
Look up the temperatures, humidity, precipitation, wind for a given date and location.

Graphic Data Sites

Climate Maps of the United States
In here you will find over 2000 climate maps of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. These full color maps are available for climatic elements such as temperature, precipitation, snow, wind, pressure, etc., chosen to portray the climate.

Challenging Data Sites

National Snow and Ice Data Center
Includes a variety of data collections but does not define the collections, so best used by those familiar with various satellites, etc. We recommend beginning with the "easy-to-use" products.

WaterWatch-current water resources conditions
Map of real-time streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year (United States).

Water Data Discovery
Current, past, and forecasts for water resources (streamflow, flood and draught data, ground-water levels). Conditions are searchable using a simple clickable map of the USA, topics, variables, and contents may be unfamiliar to most beginning users.


 

Other Earth Data

These data include earthquakes, volcanism, lightning, precipitation-specific sites. Data are divided into more simple numeric data (tied to more easily understood concepts), graphic data (images and movies), and more challenging data (which can be difficult to identify or with more advanced variables, or variables more difficult to define).

Simple Numeric Data Sites

The Globe Program
Earth science data (soil, atmosphere, plants and birds, etc.) gathered by students from around the world, and available by location.

US Census Bureau

My NASA Data
Data, lesson plans, and computer tools on a broad variety of Earth science data (land, atmosphere, ocean).

Latest Earthquakes
Daily earthquake list for the USA and for the world.

Historic World Earthquakes
Selected earthquakes of general historic interest. All earthquake dates are UTC, not local time.

Globe at Night
GLOBE at Night is an annual 2-week campaign in March. People all over the world record the brightness of their night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars.

Earthquakes Hazards Program: Did You Feel It?
An archive of recent earthquakes reported by the public, along with the time, location, magnitude, etc.

Earth Impact Database
Site developed and maintained by Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Graphic Data Sites

My NASA Data
Data, lesson plans, and computer tools

IRIS Earthquake Browser
IRIS is a consortium of over 100 US universities dedicated to the operation of science facilities for the acquisition, management, and distribution of seismological data. IRIS includes an earthquake browser using a world map.

Google Earth
Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others.

Globe at Night
GLOBE at Night is an annual 2-week campaign in March. People all over the world record the brightness of their night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars.

Volcanos of the World
The data presented in this section have been compiled by Smithsonian volcanologists over the past three decades and represent an updated electronic version of Volcanoes of the World.

Earth Observatory Global Maps
NASA satellites give us a global view of what’s happening on our planet. To explore how key parts of Earth’s climate system change from month to month, click on one of the maps below or select from the complete list on the left.

Earth from Space
A clickable map of the world, with satellite images, and search options for cities, landscapes, human interactions, distinctive features, hurricanes and weather, water habitats, and geographic regions.

Volcano Hazards Program
Map of the latest volcano alerts and updates

SSEC Data Center and Galleries
Links to a variety of real-time imagery and data: SSEC Data Center Provides access, maintenance and distribution of real-time and archive weather and satellite data. SSEC Galleries: picture galleries: Antarctica / Polar, Field Experiments,...

Great WorldWide Star Count
This international event encourages everyone to go outside, look skywards after dark, count the stars they see in certain constellations, and report what they see online. The results are available as maps, as excel files, as text files, etc.

WorldWind 3D Satellite Imaging
World Wind allows any user to zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth, leveraging high resolution LandSat imagery and SRTM elevation data to experience Earth in visually rich 3D, just as if they were really there.

Challenging Data Sites

Earth System Science Data and Services
This site manages and distributes data products through the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). The centers process, archive, document, and distribute data from NASA’s past and current research satellites and field programs.

Global Change Master Directory
A catalogue of data collections, with data sets by topic ranging from biology to human impacts on evolution, spectral and engineering, and Sun-Earth interactions.

National Geophysical Data Center
NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provides scientific stewardship, products, and services for geophysical data from the Sun to the Earth and Earth's sea floor and solid earth environment, including Earth observations from space.

Lightning & Atmospheric Electricity Research
A variety of data sets are available; Some datasets also have additional software packages available. Terminology and acronyms are not explained; confusing.

International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network
Welcome to INTERMAGNET - the global network of observatories, monitoring the Earth's magnetic field. At this site you can find data and information from geomagnetic observatories around the world. Data available as magnetograms or digital data files.

Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Info Services
A variety of data and information about various NASA Earth satellites and their observations. Broken out by missions, which may be unfamiliar to casual user; this connects to multiple sites.

Earth System Research Lab: Global Monitoring
Plots and maps of greenhouse gas, carbon emissions, ozone, solar radiation, methane, and more. Data is graphic; the variety of data, and units of measurement may be confusing.

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer
the official Website for information, data, and images from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on Aura and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments. Data files for Ozone monthly averages and zonal means are available.

Stratospheric Ozone Data
NOAA uses satellite, airborne and ground-based systems to continuously monitor stratospheric ozone as well as the chemical compounds and atmospheric conditions that affect its concentration. This site provides information on these NOAA organizations.

 


 

Solar System Data

These data include the Sun, planets, moons. asteroids, and comets as well as processes such as impacts, volcanism, etc,. Data are divided into more simple numeric data (tied to more easily understood concepts), graphic data (images and movies), and more challenging data (which can be difficult to identify or with more advanced variables, or variables more difficult to define).

Simple Numeric Data Sites

Moon Crater Database
This table has information about the craters on the Moon (name, location, and diameter). remove

Planetary Names: Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
Select a planet or Moon and select the feature you would like listed.  In addition to the the names, positions and sizes of features are available.  Could be used to look up and compare number of named craters, and their diameters on a variety of planetary objects.  Could also be used to compare chasmata, fossae, dorsa, coronae, vallis, mons, etc.

Sunrise & Sunset, Moonrise & Moonset times
Very simple tables of information based on any chosen location, including sunrise & sunset, Moonrise & Moonset and Moon Phases, eclipse times, transits of Mercury and Venus, and more.

Martian Weather Report from Phoenix
Maximum and minimum temperatures, wind, dust activity, etc. are available for the 151 days that Phoenix operated at the Mars’ northern polar cap.

 

Graphic Data Sites

Map-a-Planet PDS Imaging Node
Explore global imagery of the planets and satellites from a variety of missions in an easy to use web interface. Customize and download your own image maps of the Moon, Mars, Venus, and other planets and moons. Includes some MESSENGER and Mars Global Surveyor data, and some limited Cassini data of Saturn's moons, but much of the data is old.

Beta Mars Global GIS Viewer
A Mars global web mapping application that allows the user to select various Mars data sets, and even overlap them, and zoom in to view various features on Mars.

Lunar Global GIS Viewer
Similar to the Mars GIS Viewer, this is a global mapping application that allows the user to select various lunar data sets and overlap them, ranging from topography, to geologic maps.

New LRO Moon Browser
This online browser allows you to zoom in to different parts of the Moon, and uses the wide-field data from the LROC camera on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Easy to use.

Eyes on the Solar System
Can be used to observe planets and moons, which side is currently lit by the Sun, and their positions in the solar system.

SOHO images of the Sun
Search through a variety of images of the Sun by date and wavelength, to observe sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, and more.

Solar System Simulator
Users can select the object they want to see (including planets, moons, and spacecraft), date, size of the field of view, and more, to observe simulated appearances and relative size and positions of objects in the Solar System.

Mars Odyssey THEMIS gallery
A searchable variety of images of Mars' features in infrared, taken by the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on the Mars Odyssey orbiter.  Global data sets include infrared, elevation, albedo, dust cover, mineral abundances.  Themis images by topics include canyons, channels, mountains, craters, volcanics, and more.

Google Mars
A zoomable map of Mars, color-coded by altitude (as measured by the MOLA instrument orbiting Mars), or a visual map, or a map of Mars in infrared. You can also search for specific topographical features.

Google Moon
This zoomable map of the Moon includes the Apollo landing sites, the elevation, and more.

Challenging Data Sites

Planetary Spectra
The compiled data lists of spectra of the planets and their satellites comes from many investigations. The specific references to each piece of data can be found in the reference given with each spectrum. The spectra indicate the composition of the body.  The data are not graphic, and are available in ascii as tables of wavelength, reflection, and error. Data are not mapped across the planet or moon's surface.

noneSOHO Near Realtime Data
Search and download SOHO images by image type (instrument, wavelength), resolution, dates, and more. Can be used to observe sunspots, flares, and other solar activity.

Lunar Impact Craters
This is an application that allows you to determine the crater size, shape and other features for both explosion and impact craters for terrestrial and solar-system cratering, and for a very wide range of conditions: from lab-sized to 100's of kilometer basins. It includes simple excavation craters in either of the strength or gravity-dominated regimes, and also includes the large complex craters seen on the moon and other solar system bodies.

Planetary Imaging Atlas
Search for images and maps by mission, instrument, planetary object, location, and more. Many possible variables may confuse some users; it may be difficult to find the objects for which you search.

Planetary Data System
A website that accesses a variety of catalogues with planetary data. The acronyms, mission and instrument names may be confusing, and the wide variety of data available may frustrate users unfamiliar with the terms. The various sites do have tools that can be somewhat easy to use, but the data sets desired may be difficult to find.


 

Beyond the Solar System Data

These data include distant stars and galaxies, planets orbiting other stars, etc,. Data are divided into more simple numeric data (tied to more easily understood concepts), graphic data (images and movies), and more challenging data (which can be difficult to identify or with more advanced variables, or variables more difficult to define).

Simple Numeric Data Sites

Exoplanets Encyclopedia 
This catalogue of discovered planets is sortable by several different factors

Exoplanets Data Explorer
Information about newly discovered planets outside of our Solar System. This website is no longer compatible with Internet Explorer, and requires a different browser. These data are tabled with information about the discovered planets' orbits: orbital period, distance from star, approximate mass, and date of discovery. Some terms may be unfamiliar; (Msin(i) is the approximate mass in terms of Jupiter-masses, the exact mass cannot be determined without more information.)

 

Graphic Data Sites

Galaxies and Cosmos Explorer Tool (GCET)
A high resolution image of background galaxies has been made available as separate tiles; viewers can zoom in and out, compare ground-based to Hubble images, ask the program to highlight galaxies, and search by galaxy ID.

Chromoscope
Chromoscope lets you explore our Galaxy (the Milky Way) and the distant Universe in a range of wavelengths from X-rays to the longest radio waves. Change the wavelength using the slider in the top right of the screen and explore space using your mouse.

The Multiwavelength Milky Way
Presented here are maps of the Milky Way galaxy at ten wavelength regions. The maps show the central part of our Milky Way galaxy in a band that extands 10° north and 10° south of the Galactic plane. Below the maps is a finder chart. To zoom in on a feature, click on the image you are interested in. A new screen will appear in your browser showing the zoomed-in region along with some information. From that screen you can then pan left or right, or zoom in even further.

Celestial High Energy Sources
A database of images, spectra, and light curves of celestial high energy sources, from extreme ultraviolet through gamma rays.

Google Sky
Using Google Maps this tool allows you to browse and explore the universe. You can find the positions of the planets and constellations on the sky, and view the universe at different wavelengths. As you explore these new layers, play with the transparency to blend between the different wavelengths and see how different parts of the universe light up at different wavelengths.

Where is M13? program
Where is M13? is a free application (requires installation) that helps you visualize the locations and physical properties of deep sky objects in and around the Galaxy. Using paired face-on and edge-on views, the Galaxy View shows you where that cluster or nebula is actually located relative to the center and plane of the Galaxy, providing a unique 3-D perspective.

Stellarium Planetarium Program
Stellarium is a free open source planetarium (requires installation) for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope, and can be used to collect positions of objects in the night sky from particular locations and times.

Messier Catalogue
A photographic catalogue of the 110 Messier objects--famous galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters observed by amateur astronomers worldwide. The purpose of these web pages is to provide a complete guide to the 110 objects recognized as the standard Messier catalog.

Challenging Data Sites

World Wide Telescope
WWT is an application that runs in Windows that utilizes images and data stored on remote servers enabling you to explore some of the highest resolution imagery of the universe available in multiple wavelengths. Requires installation. Sections of directions require Microsoft Silverlight.

National Virtual Observatory
Discover, retrieve, and analyze astronomical data from archives and data centers around the world. Includes tools and directions to help. There are lots of instructions, as there are lots of options, tools, catalogues, and more. Will take plenty of time to read and follow directions.

Sloan Digital Sky Survey
This website presents data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a project to make a map of a large part of the universe. It includes tools to visualize and explore detailed astronomical data. Images are available as plates, as spectra, and more. There are lots of instructions to help, but a user needs to read many different sections to use the site.

SkyView
SkyView is a Virtual Observatory on the Net generating images of any part of the sky at wavelengths in all regimes from Radio to Gamma-Ray. Many will be unfamiliar with the various surveys of the sky that are available and how they might connect to various astronomical objects.