All articles tagged with #satellite imagery
NASA’s satellite images reveal significant shifts in Earth's nighttime illumination, with rapid increases in lighting in growing urban centers across developing regions, signaling accelerating urbanization and energy use; the nighttime glow provides a new metric for tracking population trends and development over time.
NASA satellite imagery detects green and turquoise plumes off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast, likely caused by a mix of sediments, river outflows, and phytoplankton blooms (diatoms and coccolithophores). The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission helps scientists monitor ocean health and carbon cycling, with blooms that can affect light penetration and will usually wane as nutrients are depleted unless replenished by storms or rivers.
NASA satellites have detected a massive blue-green algal bloom along the U.S. East Coast (New Jersey to Virginia) that has grown since mid-April and is visible from space. The bloom is driven by river outflows, spring storms, and dense phytoplankton populations, and scientists are using MODIS imagery and the PACE mission to monitor its composition and spread. There are no signs of toxicity at present, and experts expect the bloom to fade in coming weeks unless nutrients persist.
AP reports satellite imagery from Airbus DS showing a man-made track in Iraq’s Nukhaib desert (southwest of Baghdad), with officials saying Israel has established a presence in the western desert amid the Iran war.
PlanetScope imagery analyzed by Bellingcat shows that at least 46 of 54 towns within the IDF’s Yellow Line in southern Lebanon have been heavily damaged or destroyed over roughly the first two months of the US-Israeli war against Iran, with much of the destruction occurring in recent weeks. The images indicate demolitions carried out with explosives or heavy equipment, affecting border towns such as Naqoura and Kfar Kila, and reflect ongoing damage amid a fragile ceasefire.
Fresh Landsat 9 imagery from NASA’s Earth Observatory shows heat beneath Russia’s Shivelyuch volcano melting the Kamchatka snow as a lava dome expands inside the crater and pyroclastic deposits persist, revealing ongoing magma movement and cycles of destruction and rebuilding monitored by KVERT.
Satellite imagery shows an oil spill off Iran’s Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, spreading across up to 20 square miles and up to 3,000 barrels between May 6–8; causes remain unclear but may involve a ruptured undersea pipeline to the Abuzar field or large volumes of crude in tankers. Kharg is Iran’s central oil export hub, handling roughly 90% of exports, while regional shipping has been constrained by earlier US-Israeli strikes and blockades, contributing to global oil-price pressures, though a direct link to the spill hasn’t been established.
NASA's Earth Observatory highlights a Landsat 8 image showing von Kármán vortex streets forming downwind of remote Peter I Island in the Bellingshausen Sea, created by Antarctic winds that bend around the island; the spiraling cloud patterns reveal atmospheric eddies around the ice-cloaked volcano, and the piece also notes the island's discovery in 1821, its shield-like summit crater, and past reconnaissance like Operation IceBridge in 2011.
BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellite captured SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy liftoff from Kennedy Space Center on April 29, 2026, including a pad shot and ascent, as it carried the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit. BlackSky notes its 35 cm ground resolution enables viewing launch-related details from orbit, and this marks Falcon Heavy’s first flight in 18 months.
NASA, via its Kennedy Space Center and in partnership with the USGS, has promoted a Landsat-based tool that lets people spell out their name or any word using publicly available Landsat satellite imagery. The images are processed into false-color views that highlight environmental features, showcasing how letters can appear in natural landscapes (e.g., an “A” shape formed by Lake Mjøsa, Norway, and a lowercase “g” near Fonte Boa, Brazil) and noting Landsat’s long history of Earth observation since 1972. The feature, which first surfaced in Camp Landsat in 2024, is available online for users to try, illustrating how imagery can reveal patterns in land use and environment while offering a playful take on satellite data.
CNN, using Airbus satellite imagery, documents extensive destruction in southern Lebanon since Israel’s March offensive against Hezbollah, with hundreds of buildings flattened and demolitions continuing after the ceasefire. Israeli officials signal a long-term security zone and a border ‘yellow line’ akin to Gaza, while rights groups warn the tactics mirror Gaza’s destruction. About 1.3 million Lebanese have been displaced, and civilians face uncertainty as homes and infrastructure are erased and fears of permanent occupation grow.
BBC Verify and a Lebanese couple used satellite imagery to show their home in Qouzah, southern Lebanon, was destroyed during renewed Israel-Hezbollah fighting; analysts say the damage extends to dozens of villages as more than 1.2 million people have been displaced since March, with Israel claiming strikes on military targets near the village and a 10-day ceasefire beginning on 16 April.
New satellite imagery shows multiple oil spills in the Persian Gulf following strikes on oil facilities and ships linked to Iran and its adversaries, raising alarms of an environmental catastrophe that could harm marine life, coastal livelihoods, and desalination plants as cleanup remains challenging amid ongoing conflict.
New satellite analysis shows rapid expansion of Israeli military sites across Gaza—especially Rafah—with permanent outposts, fortifications, and new roads emerging while civilian rubble removal slows; a touted US plan to rebuild Rafah appears stalled, and the broader 'New Rafah' concept and the 'yellow line' border are shaping a permanent frontier amid ongoing violence and disputed ceasefire commitments.
NASA-funded study of 1.16 million satellite images shows artificial night lighting increased about 16% globally from 2014–2022, but regional shifts were volatile: Europe dimmed significantly due to efficiency rules and energy shortages, Venezuela dropped after economic collapse, while Asia continued to brighten; the United States saw mixed signals with West Coast growth and East Coast dimming; gas flaring in central US highlighted energy waste; overall radiance rose but with a patchwork of bright and dim regions, reflecting policy, economy, and conflict.