EPIC Earth
A new exoplanet similar to Earth has been discovered. NASA

While space exploration may be what NASA is best known for, the space agency is also quite busy observing Earth. Through its fleet of Earth observatories, NASA can track changes in the air, climate, water and land with incredible precision. The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) -- launched Feb. 11, 2015 -- can deliver full-Earth pictures in a matter of hours, which is why NASA has launched a website dedicated to the observatory. Each day, users can explore new images of Earth taken by DSCOVR's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC).

DSCOVR, the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Air Force, is a real-time solar wind monitor. DSCOVR is used as a next-generation space weather system that can alert Earth of a potential coronal mass ejection up to an hour before it hits the planet. The data collected by DSCOVR are also used to bolster NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Scientists can uses EPIC's photos to observe aerosol amounts in the atmosphere, surface-level UV radiation and cloud height.

The daily images displayed by NASA are created from three single-color photos taken by EPIC. Users can view the whole globe as it rotates over a 24-hour period.

DSCOVR's first photos were shared by the White House to fight climate change. "For the first time, we'll have the ability to take full snapshots of the Earth every few hours. It's a beautiful reminder that we need to protect the only planet we have," the White House wrote on Instagram.

DSCOVR carries three scientific instruments: EPIC, the Plasma-Magnetometer, which tracks solar wind, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Radiometer, which measures electromagnetic radiation emitted from Earth. NOAA's other satellites monitor the development of hurricanes, ocean temperatures, solar flares, coral reef changes and more.

NASA