Hurricane Isabel Click Image to Enlarge  (JPG) (1,246,986 bytes) ( 2,949 x 3,984 )

ASTER captured this image of Hurricane Isabel on Thursday, September 18 at 11:00 am EST as Isabel made landfall in North Carolina. The ASTER image is a composite of 3 SWIR bands, showing the eye of the hurricane in orange, and the surrounding clouds. The eye allows us to see glimpses of the dark ocean water between clouds. The large round blue cloud north of the eye is a towering thunderhead. The image is a mosaic of 4 successive scenes, and covers an area of 60 x 240 km. It has been reduced in resolution to 60 m. On the right is a simultaneously acquired MODIS image with the ASTER image superimposed. The image is centered at 35.2 degrees north latitude, 76.1 degrees west longitude.