Ablaze
The Bighorn Fire is a vicious fire that has been raging in Arizona since early June, forcing evacuations as recently as this week.
In fact, the fire has grown so large that satellites can easily see it from space, according to a new post from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Mainland
NASA took the images using its advanced space thermal emission instrument and reflection radiometer (ASTER), aboard its Terra satellite, which was launched in 1999.
The epic photo included in the post shows the progress of the fire over the Santa Catalina Mountains, north of Tucson. Vegetation is shown in red, according to the NASA shot description, and the burned areas are shown in gray.
High view
ASTER, the space agency wrote, is a useful instrument for mapping Earth’s changing surface due to its high resolution and imaging capabilities at thermal infrared wavelengths.
NASA has used it to study glacier movement, volcanic activity, crop health, climate, and the well-being of wetlands and coral reefs.
READ MORE: NASA ASTER Sees Scar From Arizona Bighorn Fire From Space [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
More about fires: Devastating fires in the Amazon rainforest can be seen from space
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