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January 17, 2026 - Al-Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia
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Orange and tan sands sweep across the northern portion of Saudia Arabia, marking the arid Al-Nafud Desert. Part of the larger Arabian Desert, the Al-Nafud stretches over at least 25,000 square miles (65,00 square kilometers) and is famous for brick-red sand and extremely tall crescent-shaped dunes which continuously, if slowly, shift their location due to pressure from powerful winds. It is also well-known as an area of temperature extremes, with summer high temperatures soaring easily about 100°F (38°C) and winter lows dropping to near freezing at night.
On January 15, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image the Al-Nafud region of northern Saudi Arabia.
The striking color of the sand stands out against the dull tan backdrop of the surrounding landscape. What appear to be ripples in the sand are actually enormous sand dunes which stand so high they can be seen from space. Patches of green along the edges of Al-Nafud mark oases—places where water is plentiful enough to allow vegetation to grow.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/15/2026
Resolutions:
1km (178.1 KB), 500m (434.5 KB), 250m (607.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Orange and tan sands sweep across the northern portion of Saudia Arabia, marking the arid Al-Nafud Desert. Part of the larger Arabian Desert, the Al-Nafud stretches over at least 25,000 square miles (65,00 square kilometers) and is famous for brick-red sand and extremely tall crescent-shaped dunes which continuously, if slowly, shift their location due to pressure from powerful winds. It is also well-known as an area of temperature extremes, with summer high temperatures soaring easily about 100°F (38°C) and winter lows dropping to near freezing at night.
On January 15, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image the Al-Nafud region of northern Saudi Arabia.
The striking color of the sand stands out against the dull tan backdrop of the surrounding landscape. What appear to be ripples in the sand are actually enormous sand dunes which stand so high they can be seen from space. Patches of green along the edges of Al-Nafud mark oases—places where water is plentiful enough to allow vegetation to grow.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/15/2026
Resolutions:
1km (178.1 KB), 500m (434.5 KB), 250m (607.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
