The skies over Cape Verde were filled with dust blowing westward from the African Sahara on April 30, 2002. This true-color image of the event was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft.

Note the lacy cloud pattern (von Karman vortices) forming on the leeward side of the Cape Verde islands. The red dots appearing on the African landscape are fires.

Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor?s fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire site.

Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS