August 4, 2021 - Orange River, Northern Cape, South Africa
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On August 3, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
the green banks of the Orange River as it twists and tumbles across the
spectacular ochres, reds, and tans of southwestern Africa.
The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa, stretching more
than 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) from the headwaters in the
Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho to its outflow in the Atlantic Ocean.
The flowing waters of the Orange River are a political divide,
separating South Africa from Namibia along the western reaches of the
river. The river also creates a geographical divide, with the rusty red
sands of the Namib Desert almost reaching the northern banks while to
the south the landscape becomes a rugged, semi-arid, rock-scape of the
North Cape region of South Africa.
Each winter, from August to October, rains begin to fall on the
otherwise dry North Cape. The refreshing precipitation brings a flush
of color to the landscape, including a gorgeous bloom of wildflowers.
The Namaqualand wildflower bloom includes daisies of various shades,
lilies, aloes, perennial herbs and other rare flowers, all painting the
arid land orange and green. Peak bloom is usually the second week of
August and draws locals and foreign tourists alike to witness its
spectacular beauty.
Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 8/3/2020
Resolutions: 1km (194.8 KB), 500m (537.9 KB), 250m (1.1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-08-04
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