Suggested Searches

1 min read

Brown Cloud off of Australia

Instruments:
2024-12-19 12:00:00
December 19, 2002

On December 19, 2002, a brownish gray cloud could be seen over the Tasman Sea just off the coast of southern Australia near Canberra. The plume, which is probably made up of dust or pollution, can be seen in this true-color image taken by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS). In the large image, one can also see a large algae bloom in the lower left-hand corner just south of Tasmania.

References & Resources

Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

The Galaxy Next Door
3 min read

The Large Magellanic Cloud—one of our closest neighboring galaxies—is a hotbed of star formation that is visible to both astronauts…

Article
Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum
2 min read

Sea ice around the southernmost continent hit one of its lowest seasonal highs since the start of the satellite record.

Article
A Subtle Return of La Niña 
3 min read

A weak La Niña emerged in the equatorial Pacific in late 2025, and scientists are watching how it may help…

Article