Every month, NASA’s Earth Observatory presents a puzzling satellite image. The July 2026 puzzle appears above.

Your challenge
YoIdentify the location shown in this satellite image. Share what clues you see, where you think they are, and what makes this place interesting or unique to you.

How to respond
Submit your answer using this form and select “Puzzle Answer” as the topic. Include your preferred name or alias.

You can keep it simple and just guess the location. Do you want to impress us? Tell us what satellite and instrument captured the image, what spectral bands were used, or point out a subtle detail about the geology or history of the area. If anything catches your eye, or if this is your home or means something to you, we’d love to know.

The prize
We cannot offer cash prizes or a trip to space to see the Earth like satellites and astronauts do. but we can offer something almost as rewarding: puzzle bragging rights.

About a week after the challenge, we’ll post the answer at the top of this page, along with a link to an Earth Observatory Picture of the Day story that explains the image in more detail. We’ll recognize the first person to correctly guess the location, and we’ll also be able to highlight readers who share especially thoughtful or interesting answers. By submitting a response, you acknowledge that your comments may be edited, excerpted and published on this page.

Until then, come in, look closely, and enjoy the challenge. See you at the reveal!