Images
September 20, 2025 - Colors in the Midwestern United States
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With daylight hours shortening and temperatures falling, the American Midwest is beginning to brighten with the first colors of approaching autumn.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image centered on Illinois (west) and Indiana (east) on September 17. The southern tip of Lake Michigan can be seen in the north, with a large blotch of gray pixels marking the human-made structures of the city of Chicago, Illinois along the western shore of southern Lake Michigan.
According to The Foliage Network, the annual color change of the leaves of deciduous trees has barely begun, with just the first touch occurring in northern Illinois and Indiana. Fall leaf color in this region is expected to peak in early to mid-October. Yet, the image shows a widespread golden glow.
While leaves play a part in the color in this image, most of the golds, orange, and tans are the result of cropland at the end of the growing season. Agriculture is a dominant enterprise in this portion of the Midwest, with copious corn, soybean, hay, and other grains grown. Many of these crops lose their green color in the fall, well before leaves turn colors, and create a gorgeous, bright landscape when viewed from space.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/17/2025
Resolutions:
1km (281.5 KB), 500m (797.6 KB), 250m (1.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
With daylight hours shortening and temperatures falling, the American Midwest is beginning to brighten with the first colors of approaching autumn.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image centered on Illinois (west) and Indiana (east) on September 17. The southern tip of Lake Michigan can be seen in the north, with a large blotch of gray pixels marking the human-made structures of the city of Chicago, Illinois along the western shore of southern Lake Michigan.
According to The Foliage Network, the annual color change of the leaves of deciduous trees has barely begun, with just the first touch occurring in northern Illinois and Indiana. Fall leaf color in this region is expected to peak in early to mid-October. Yet, the image shows a widespread golden glow.
While leaves play a part in the color in this image, most of the golds, orange, and tans are the result of cropland at the end of the growing season. Agriculture is a dominant enterprise in this portion of the Midwest, with copious corn, soybean, hay, and other grains grown. Many of these crops lose their green color in the fall, well before leaves turn colors, and create a gorgeous, bright landscape when viewed from space.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/17/2025
Resolutions:
1km (281.5 KB), 500m (797.6 KB), 250m (1.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
