Earthsky.org-5/3/13, Eleanor Imster

NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image showing a wildfire burning near Banning, California yesterday (May 1, 2013). Actively burning areas are outlined in red. An instrument called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the satellite detects unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires. You can see the smoke in the area nearby.

For more information please see Earthsky.org.