Rendering of GOES-19 and NOAA-21.
It was a busy – and successful – year for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. We celebrated 50 years of NOAA’s GOES satellites in 2025. The last of our GOES-R Series satellites, GOES-19, became operational in April. And we launched our groundbreaking SWFO-L1 space weather observatory, which is now making its way to an orbit one million miles from Earth.
Closer to home, NOAA satellites were continually watching our world from their lofty perspective in space, capturing the beauty and extremes that unfolded around our dynamic planet over the course of the year.
They served as our sentinels in the sky as devastating wildfires swept across the landscape, record-setting hurricanes churned up the Atlantic, and dazzling auroras danced in our night sky. They tracked blinding dust storms and spotted restless volcanoes spewing smoke and magma. Our satellites even monitored the sun – and caught a passing glimpse of the moon – during our cosmic journey through the solar system this year.
Without further ado, here are some of the most compelling images from 2025, presented in chronological order, as seen from NOAA’s GOES and JPSS satellites.
Southern California Wildfires
NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite monitors the smoke plumes and temperatures of the Palisades, Eaton and Kenneth fires in California on Jan. 9, 2025.
Ten Eruptions from Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano
Ten eruptive episodes from Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano from December 2024 - February 2025, captured by NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites.
Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano Erupts
NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite tracks the heat and ash plume of Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano on Feb. 4, 2025.
Snowfall across the Midwest
NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites reveal snow on the ground (color enhanced in blue) across the central U.S. after a winter storm on Feb. 13, 2025.
Atmospheric River Soaks Pacific Northwest
NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite tracks an atmospheric river that dropped flooding rain and heavy mountain snow over the western U.S. from Feb. 12-13, 2025.
Mississippi River Valley Flooding
NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites capture before and after images of the Mississippi River Valley to show the extent of winter flooding on Feb. 17, 2025.
Dust Storm and Wildfires across Southern Plains
Intense wildfires and a large dust storm impactingTexas and Oklahoma as seen from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites on March 14, 2025.
Coronal Mass Ejection Erupts from Sun
NOAA’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager on GOES-16 captures a coronal mass ejection from the sun on March 28, 2025.
Severe Weather Produces Tornadoes
NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite tracks tornadic thunderstorms bubbling across the Ark-La-Tex region on April 2, 2025.
Dust Storm and Wildfire Smoke in Texas/Mexico
NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite monitors a large dust storm and wildfire smoke plumes across West Texas and northern Mexico in both GeoColor and enhanced-color dust imagery on April 19, 2025
Severe Weather Strikes the South
Infrared and visible imagery of severe thunderstorms pushing across Texas and Louisiana provided by NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites on May 2, 2025.
Dragon Bravo Fire Burns in Arizona
NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites track the progression of the Dragon Bravo Fire at the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz., between July 24-27, 2025.
Dragon Bravo Fire Grows across Arizona
Color-enhanced imagery from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites track the hot spots and burn scar of the Dragon Bravo Fire at the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz., between July 23 - Aug. 3, 2025.
Moon “Photobombs” Image from CCOR-1
The Compact Coronograph-1 on NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite monitors the sun’s corona as the moon makes a quick appearance on Sept. 21-22, 2025.
Hurricane-Force Low Lashes Alaska
NOAA’s GOES-18 watches a hurricane-force low pressure system spinning in the Gulf of Alaska on Sept. 26, 2025.
Hurricane Gabrielle’s Eye
Visible and infrared imagery of major Hurricane Gabrielle’s eye captured from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites on Sept. 22, 2025.
Mid-latitude Cyclone Pushes Eastward
A color-enhanced mid-latitude cyclone impacting the eastern U.S. from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites on Oct. 21, 2025.
Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall
Hurricane Melissa’s Eye
An extreme close-up of Hurricane Melissa’s mesovortices within its eye as seen from NOAA’s GOES-19 on Oct. 28, 2025.
Northern Lights across North America
The aurora borealis over North America as seen from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites on Nov. 11-12, 2025.
