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April 19, 2026 - Sunny Spring Day in Sweden
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Sweden, along with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway is part of the Nordic Region located in northern Europe. Covering about 528,447 square kilometers (204,000 square miles), Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe and slightly larger than the U.S. state of California. But population figures differ significantly—the Public Policy Institute of California estimates the state’s population at about 39.5 million people, while the Swedish Institute estimates the population in Sweden at nearly 10.5 million people, most of that clustered in a few large cities.
Sweden is an elongated country, stretching roughly 1,572 kilometers (977 miles) at its longest and only 499 kilometers (310 miles) at its widest. This long stretch, starting in the far north, means that the southern tip of the country often enjoys warm, sunny springtime while the north remains shivering under snow.
On April 17, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of a sunny spring day in southern Sweden.
Most of this region is covered in forest or used for agriculture, with a substantial portion set aside in nature reserves. The most notable natural features are Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern, which dominate the inland region of southern Sweden. Lake Vänern (west) is the largest lake in Sweden. It’s known for its rocky, wooded, and extremely long coastline which hosts several fishing and industrial towns.
The longer, thinner, Lake Vättern sits to the southeast of Vänern. With a surface are of 1,912 square km (738 sq mi), Vättern is the second-largest lake in Sweden. It provides drinking water for more than 250,000 people and is a popular destination for those seeking to view or swim in the crystal-clear waters.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (362.8 KB), 500m (861.2 KB), 250m (1.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Sweden, along with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway is part of the Nordic Region located in northern Europe. Covering about 528,447 square kilometers (204,000 square miles), Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe and slightly larger than the U.S. state of California. But population figures differ significantly—the Public Policy Institute of California estimates the state’s population at about 39.5 million people, while the Swedish Institute estimates the population in Sweden at nearly 10.5 million people, most of that clustered in a few large cities. Sweden is an elongated country, stretching roughly 1,572 kilometers (977 miles) at its longest and only 499 kilometers (310 miles) at its widest. This long stretch, starting in the far north, means that the southern tip of the country often enjoys warm, sunny springtime while the north remains shivering under snow.
On April 17, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of a sunny spring day in southern Sweden.
Most of this region is covered in forest or used for agriculture, with a substantial portion set aside in nature reserves. The most notable natural features are Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern, which dominate the inland region of southern Sweden. Lake Vänern (west) is the largest lake in Sweden. It’s known for its rocky, wooded, and extremely long coastline which hosts several fishing and industrial towns.
The longer, thinner, Lake Vättern sits to the southeast of Vänern. With a surface are of 1,912 square km (738 sq mi), Vättern is the second-largest lake in Sweden. It provides drinking water for more than 250,000 people and is a popular destination for those seeking to view or swim in the crystal-clear waters.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (362.8 KB), 500m (861.2 KB), 250m (1.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
