What is Zoom Earth?
Zoom Earth is an interactive weather map of the world. It shows live satellite imagery from the NOAA GOES, EUMETSAT Meteosat and JMA Himawari geostationary satellites, rain radar from many sources, and HD satellite images updated twice a day from NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites. Forecast layers for rain, wind, temperature and pressure come from the DWD ICON and NOAA GFS models, and tropical storm tracks are built from agencies such as NHC and JTWC.
It is made by Neave Interactive. For researchers and journalists it is a fast way to check the weather, cloud cover or storms at a place and time, to follow wildfires and smoke, or to test whether conditions in a video match a claimed date. Active fire data comes from official sources, and a heat spots layer from NASA FIRMS is updated daily rather than live. There are also measuring tools and apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Main Features
- Live geostationary satellite imagery with adjustable loop length
- Twice daily HD imagery from NASA Aqua and Terra
- Rain radar, wind, temperature and pressure maps
- Forecasts from the ICON and GFS models
- Hurricane and tropical storm tracking
- Active fires and daily satellite heat spots
- Measure distance and area, and share links to a map view
- Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android
How to Get Started with Zoom Earth
- Open zoom.earth and allow or search for a location.
- Pick a live map such as satellite or radar, or a forecast map such as wind.
- Use the timeline to step back through recent imagery or ahead through the forecast.
- Turn on fires or storm tracks if needed and share a link to the exact view.
Zoom Earth Pricing
Zoom Earth is free to use on the web. An optional Zoom Earth Pro subscription is offered in the apps and on the site; the price is shown at checkout and was not listed on a public pricing page.
Who Should Use It?
- Journalists covering hurricanes, storms and wildfires
- Fact-checkers testing whether weather in a video matches a claimed date
- OSINT researchers checking cloud cover and conditions at a location
- Travellers, sailors and outdoor fans watching the weather
- Teachers and students exploring live Earth imagery
Zoom Earth Alternatives
- NASA Worldview: a free NASA map for browsing daily global satellite imagery and natural events.
- Copernicus Browser: free Sentinel satellite imagery with time-lapse, compare and measuring tools.
- SunCalc: a free map tool for checking sun position and shadows at a place and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zoom Earth free?
Yes. The weather and satellite maps on zoom.earth are free to use. An optional Pro subscription is available in the apps and on the site.
Is the satellite imagery on Zoom Earth live?
The geostationary satellite layers are near real time, and the HD imagery from NASA Aqua and Terra is updated twice a day. The heat spots layer is not live: it is updated daily and can be many hours old.
Can I rely on Zoom Earth for safety decisions?
No. Zoom Earth itself warns that its heat spot data must not be used for the preservation of life or property. Always follow local authorities and official warnings for storms and fires.