The Proba-V minisatellite captured this gorgeous image of the Yucatán Peninsula in July. Photo: ESA
The satellite image of the day is a lush view of the Yucatán Peninsula, scanned by the European Space Agency’s Proba-V minisatellite
Launched in 2013, the Proba-V monitors the Earth, covering the entire planet every two days, tracking the health of its vegetation.
The Proba-V is the size of a washing machine, and it looks a little like one too. But it has a huge, 1,400-mile-wide field of view – enough to cover most continents in a single shot. To get the best information about Earth’s flora, the satellite’s Vegetation instrument detects light in the blue, red, near-infrared and mid-infrared wavebands. The instrument has a 1,150-foot resolution.
Accounting for cloud cover, the satellite collects enough data for a nearly cloud-free global map every 10 days.
In addition to keeping track of vegetation growth, the little satellite’s data makes beautiful images.
VITO Remote Sensing in Belgium processes and then distributes Proba-V data to users worldwide. An online image gallery highlights some of the mission’s most striking images so far, including views of storms, fires and deforestation.
Record amounts of ugly, unsightly sargassum seaweed are washing ashore across the Caribbean, hitting 37.5 million metric tons (41.3 million short tons) in May 2025. The thick brown algae mats are overwhelming beaches from Puerto Rico to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, threatening the tourist economy and public health. Along the Mexican Caribbean coast in Quintana Roo…
Mexico’s environmental ministry has authorized clearing 47 hectares (116 acres) of forest in Yucatán to build a major Maya Train / Tren Maya freight depot. The authorization came with strict conditions and environmental safeguards, but critics say it’s another blow to the region’s fragile ecosystems. Massive Forest Impact The Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural…
Federal and state authorities descended on San Felipe today for the second time in 11 months for the same reason. They found illegal logging, clearing, and human settlements on more than 20 hectares (nearly 50 acres) of mangroves in Yucatán, considered protected habitat areas within the state’s ecosystems, on the eastern side of the Mexican…
The 2025 lobster season in Yucatán has begun, marking the start of an eight-month harvest period that will employ approximately 2,000 local fishermen and generate hundreds of millions of pesos for the state’s economy. Carlos Berlín Montero, head of the State Representation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), announced Wednesday that the…
As the official 2025 Atlantic hurricane season entered its fourth week, an unusual quiet has settled over the waters surrounding the Yucatán Peninsula. Despite forecasts predicting an above-average season with 17 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes, the Atlantic basin has yet to produce its first named storm, marking the slowest start in…
Mérida’s accelerated growth has brought more noise and traffic than ever. But among the chaos of this urban jungle, several species of birds linger that still bring color and joy to those who know how and where to look. Among the most beloved are several varieties of parrots in Mérida. According to a recent citizen…
