Into the Eye of the Storm

Into the Eye of the Storm

The Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) acquired this stereo image of Hurricane Alberto on August 19, 2000. At this time, the storm was located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1700 kilometers west of the Azores. According to the National Weather Service, Alberto was increasing in intensity and exhibiting maximum sustained winds of about 165 kilometers per hour.

This stereo "anaglyph" image was generated using MISR's vertical (nadir) camera plus the 26-degree forward-viewing camera. It is oriented so that the spacecraft's flight path is from left to right. North is at the left. To view the image in 3-D, use red/blue glasses with the red filter over your left eye.

Near the center of the storm, the "eye" measures about 60 kilometers in diameter. The steep eye wall, where surface winds reach their peak intensity, is very apparent. Convective thunderclouds are present in the storm's spiral arms, and their three-dimensional structure is visible in this stereo view.

Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/JPL, MISR Team. (JPL Photojournal #PIA02636)