Envirocast® On-Line Feature of the Week -- October 11, 2006
 

Fall Colors in New England

The images in this Envirocast® On-Line were taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Terra satellite on September 12 and October 9, 2006. The trees have gone from a deep green to a vibrant orange as autumn steals over New England.

Fall Colors in New England

Related Information:

  • The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Terra satellite took above image of fall foliage in New England on October 9, 2006 compared with that of on September 12. The trees have gone from a deep green to a vibrant orange as autumn steals over the region.

  • Chlorophyll, the agent of photosynthesis, is what gives the leaves their green color. When the nights get longer and the temperatures begin to cool, chlorophyll breaks down in the leaves and their other pigments become unmasked giving leaves their fall colors.

  • Temperature and moisture are the main influences that determine the amount and brilliance of color in the leaves.

Supplementary Material:

NASA's TERRA Satellite:

  • The Terra spacecraft (formally known as EOS-AM) was successfully launched on Saturday, December 19, 1999 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in Lompoc, California. It is flying at an altitude of 705 km (438 miles) observing the Earth. The life expectancy of the Terra mission is 6 years. It will be followed in later years by other EOS spacecraft that take advantage of new developments in remote sensing technologies. [Terra 3D Animation], [Animation showing Terra Orbit]

  • Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, and thus it passes over us at the same local time every day, approximately 10:30-10:45 a.m.

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