Images
April 14, 2026 - Southeast Asia
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Skies over Southeast Asia were filled with smoke and haze on April 12, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
The thick gray haze was primarily the result of seasonal agricultural fires which peak in March and April in this part of the world. When thermal anomalies detected by the MODIS instrument were viewed in NASA Worldview App, hundreds of active fires were seen across the region—a pattern that is typical of fires that are used to manage agricultural lands. A few wildland fires may also contribute smoke and various other pollutants, such as industrial and automobile exhaust, may also add to the haze.
Fire, whether it is agricultural or wildland, produces a mix of air pollutants, including aerosol particles, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. Those gases and particles can often turn into ground-level ozone and haze (or smog). Such pollutants reduces outdoor visibility and have both short- and long-term effects on human and animal health.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/12/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.1 MB), 500m (1.8 MB),
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Skies over Southeast Asia were filled with smoke and haze on April 12, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
The thick gray haze was primarily the result of seasonal agricultural fires which peak in March and April in this part of the world. When thermal anomalies detected by the MODIS instrument were viewed in NASA Worldview App, hundreds of active fires were seen across the region—a pattern that is typical of fires that are used to manage agricultural lands. A few wildland fires may also contribute smoke and various other pollutants, such as industrial and automobile exhaust, may also add to the haze.
Fire, whether it is agricultural or wildland, produces a mix of air pollutants, including aerosol particles, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. Those gases and particles can often turn into ground-level ozone and haze (or smog). Such pollutants reduces outdoor visibility and have both short- and long-term effects on human and animal health.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/12/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.1 MB), 500m (1.8 MB),
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
