Severe drought choked East Africa, particularly Kenya, though much of 2009. This image shows the cumulative effect of the drought on vegetation just as the drought-breaking rains began to fall in October.

A pale brown plume of dust filled the Copper River Valley and arced over the Gulf of Alaska in this true-color image from October 29, 2009.

The European Space Agency, or ESA, will transfer ownership of the Tranquility node to NASA on Thursday, Nov. 19.