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July 4, 2025 - Sunglint on the Chesapeake Bay
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The waters of the Chesapeake Bay glittered like precious silver on June 26, 2025, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image. The stunning shimmer also lit up a portion of the Delaware Bay, the major rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
This bright sheen was created by an optical phenomenon known as “sunglint”. It occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of smooth water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it, basically bouncing directly back at the sensor to create a bright, mirror-like glare. In contrast, where the surface of the water is roughened, such as by waves, light bounces off in many different directions with very little reflected directly back to the sensor. In roughened water, the areas appear darker and more natural.
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and third largest in the world. The watershed around the Bay—that is, the area of land that drains into it—sprawls over about 64,000 square miles (166,000 square kilometers) and includes parts of six states.
At least 150 major rivers and streams and roughly 100,000 smaller creeks, brooks, and streams pour their water into this great basin. At the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna River cuts across southeastward across mountainous country to reach the Bay—and most of it glows in the sunglint in this image. The largest rivers visible on the Western Shore of the Bay, from north to south, are the Patuxent, the Potomac, the Rappahannock, the York, and the James.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/26/2025
Resolutions:
1km (293.6 KB), 500m (809 KB), 250m (591 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The waters of the Chesapeake Bay glittered like precious silver on June 26, 2025, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image. The stunning shimmer also lit up a portion of the Delaware Bay, the major rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
This bright sheen was created by an optical phenomenon known as “sunglint”. It occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of smooth water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it, basically bouncing directly back at the sensor to create a bright, mirror-like glare. In contrast, where the surface of the water is roughened, such as by waves, light bounces off in many different directions with very little reflected directly back to the sensor. In roughened water, the areas appear darker and more natural.
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and third largest in the world. The watershed around the Bay—that is, the area of land that drains into it—sprawls over about 64,000 square miles (166,000 square kilometers) and includes parts of six states. At least 150 major rivers and streams and roughly 100,000 smaller creeks, brooks, and streams pour their water into this great basin. At the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna River cuts across southeastward across mountainous country to reach the Bay—and most of it glows in the sunglint in this image. The largest rivers visible on the Western Shore of the Bay, from north to south, are the Patuxent, the Potomac, the Rappahannock, the York, and the James.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/26/2025
Resolutions:
1km (293.6 KB), 500m (809 KB), 250m (591 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
