NASA lets people track environment-focused Earth satellites, thanks to its “Eyes on the Earth” satellite tool, an interactive website that offers a 3D visualization of their current position. Eyes on the Earth also allow access to satellites’ gathered data to monitor our planet’s vital signs such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide readings.

You can also see the sea level and soil moisture levels, with a new update to the tool this week incorporating even more datasets. The tool’s landing page shows 21 satellites currently orbiting Earth. By clicking on the Missions tab, users will be presented with a list that offers details about each mission.

A deep look into our planet

By clicking on the satellites, you’ll be able to see it orbiting Earth, and a tab at the bottom shows information about the purpose of its mission. You can also zoom in to the satellite and spin around it for a better view.

The Vital Signs tab offers several options, for instance, the CO2 button shows a visualization of data from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 satellite that measures the gas in the atmosphere. It also shows data for a specific date, and how levels have changed with each passing day.

Great tool to know more about space

The upgraded version of the tool will provide snapshots of important events in the natural world. “For instance, you can see details about the maximum wind speeds of a tropical storm, the impacts of a northern California fire, even see the scale of a phytoplankton bloom off of New Zealand and why it matters,” NASA said.

The space agency added: “The graphics are as rich as the data, making for fascinating deep dives as you learn about the science, get to know the planet better, and learn about some of the many NASA missions that track the globe’s health.”

Eyes on the Earth is a great tool, and one you’ll likely find more interesting as find about these important Earth-monitoring satellites and the important data they gather. It’s will surely be a great tool for children growing up.