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July 18, 2026 - Anzhu Islands in Sakha, Russia
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The New Siberian Islands are a group of remote and unique islands that lie in the Arctic Ocean off the shores of northeastern Siberia. The archipelago is divided into several groupings including the Anzhu Islands, the Lyakhovskiye Islands, and the De Long Islands. Covered by thick snow and locked in by sea ice most of the year, warm weather yields a view of the land for a short time each summer.
On July 17, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the main islands of the Anzhu group as well as the fascinating Bunge Land. From west (left) to east (right), the islands are Belkovsky Island, Kotelny Island, Faddeyevsky Island, and Novaya Siber.
Bunge Land, a sandy Arctic desert, connects Kotelny and Faddeyevsky Islands. This low-lying land bridge floods easily during storm surges, leaving most of it underwater much of the time. The innermost portions are covered with low sand dunes, most likely created by the movement of water and sea ice. In contrast, the islands are covered in vegetated tundra and bedrock and remain above water year-round.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (69.5 KB), 500m (186.2 KB), 250m (218.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The New Siberian Islands are a group of remote and unique islands that lie in the Arctic Ocean off the shores of northeastern Siberia. The archipelago is divided into several groupings including the Anzhu Islands, the Lyakhovskiye Islands, and the De Long Islands. Covered by thick snow and locked in by sea ice most of the year, warm weather yields a view of the land for a short time each summer.
On July 17, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the main islands of the Anzhu group as well as the fascinating Bunge Land. From west (left) to east (right), the islands are Belkovsky Island, Kotelny Island, Faddeyevsky Island, and Novaya Siber.
Bunge Land, a sandy Arctic desert, connects Kotelny and Faddeyevsky Islands. This low-lying land bridge floods easily during storm surges, leaving most of it underwater much of the time. The innermost portions are covered with low sand dunes, most likely created by the movement of water and sea ice. In contrast, the islands are covered in vegetated tundra and bedrock and remain above water year-round.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (69.5 KB), 500m (186.2 KB), 250m (218.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
