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February 24, 2026 - Northern Italy
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On February 20, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a sunny winter day in Northern Italy. In the far north, the high peaks of the Alps were painted white under a heavy cover of snow and created a brilliant contrast to the lush green hue dominating the Po Valley, in the south.
The 2026 Winter Olympics were underway at the time this image was acquired, having begun on February 6 and continuing to February 22. For the first time, the games were hosted by two cities – the ski town of Cortina d’Ampezzo and the city of Milan. Cortina d’Ampezzo sits in the Alps near Italy’s border with Austria, while Milan is located in the Po Valley, surrounded by mountains. The Milan-Cortina 2026 website estimates that more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competed for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/20/2026
Resolutions:
1km (124.4 KB), 500m (328.5 KB), 250m (402.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On February 20, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a sunny winter day in Northern Italy. In the far north, the high peaks of the Alps were painted white under a heavy cover of snow and created a brilliant contrast to the lush green hue dominating the Po Valley, in the south.
The 2026 Winter Olympics were underway at the time this image was acquired, having begun on February 6 and continuing to February 22. For the first time, the games were hosted by two cities – the ski town of Cortina d’Ampezzo and the city of Milan. Cortina d’Ampezzo sits in the Alps near Italy’s border with Austria, while Milan is located in the Po Valley, surrounded by mountains. The Milan-Cortina 2026 website estimates that more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competed for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/20/2026
Resolutions:
1km (124.4 KB), 500m (328.5 KB), 250m (402.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
