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January 15, 2026 - Sunglint on the Paraná River
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South America’s iconic Paraná River glimmers like liquid silver in this true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on January 13, 2026.
The Paraná River is the second longest river in South America. It flows mostly northeast to southwest for approximately 3,030 miles (4,880 kilometers), passing through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The Yacyretá Dam separates the Upper Paraná River and Aperea Lake from the lower Paraná, which is heavily braided below the dam. In this section, the Paraná River also forms the border between Paraguay (north) and Argentina (south) before turning southward to enter Argentina. A second river, the Paraguay, can be seen flowing southward and joining the Paraná River.
The stunningly bright sheen on all the rivers and lakes in the region 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 sunlight directly back at the sensor to create a bright, mirror-like glare.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (228.3 KB), 500m (543 KB), 250m (751.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
South America’s iconic Paraná River glimmers like liquid silver in this true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on January 13, 2026.
The Paraná River is the second longest river in South America. It flows mostly northeast to southwest for approximately 3,030 miles (4,880 kilometers), passing through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The Yacyretá Dam separates the Upper Paraná River and Aperea Lake from the lower Paraná, which is heavily braided below the dam. In this section, the Paraná River also forms the border between Paraguay (north) and Argentina (south) before turning southward to enter Argentina. A second river, the Paraguay, can be seen flowing southward and joining the Paraná River.
The stunningly bright sheen on all the rivers and lakes in the region 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 sunlight directly back at the sensor to create a bright, mirror-like glare.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (228.3 KB), 500m (543 KB), 250m (751.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
