When you make a purchase through links in our articles, Future and its distribution partners may earn a commission.
This composite image uses NISAR data to depict vegetation in the South African region. | Image credit: Paul Siqueira (University of Massachusetts Amherst), a NISAR research scientist, used data from the NISAR GCOV product, and was prepared for NASA Earth Observatory by Michala Garrison.
A rainbow blanket of colorful patches spreads across Southern Africa in this new composite image created using data from NASA's latest Earth-observing mission.
This image uses data from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, a joint effort between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), to map land use details on Earth.
What is this?
The NISAR spacecraft was launched on July 28, 2025, to observe Earth. It monitors natural disasters and studies ecosystems, agriculture, glaciers, and other aspects of our planet's surface.
This image shows the region along the Wet River (also known as the "fat river") in South Africa. This area includes a vast agricultural region north of Bloemfontein. NISAR data collected in this image was used to create color blocks indicating details such as crop types.
The Vetrivir River flows through the Free State and North West provinces. This river feeds local agriculture, supporting crops in the wider Corn Triangle region, a major agricultural area of the country.
Why is this incredible?
This image combines beauty and science in equal measure. NISAR and other Earth-studying satellites play a key role in our ever-evolving understanding of our planet.
In this image, presented as abstract color blocks, green represents vegetated areas, red represents bare areas, and shades of blue indicate how quickly the vegetation has changed over the past season.
«"It's a beautiful picture, but it also tells us important information," said Paul Siqueira, a scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the ecosystems lead for the NISAR science team, in a statement. "Thanks to NISAR, crops like corn and sunflowers look different from forests because of their different sizes and growing seasons.".