São Miguel Island Seen from Space – Incredible Photo

The European Space Agency (ESA) shared a video (see below) where São Miguel Island in the Azores is featured.

The image shared in the video is from 2016; nevertheless, it gives us a unique view of the Green Island from space.

The ESA is an international organization with 22 member states responsible for carrying out programs and activities far beyond the scope of any European country.

ESA programs aim to discover more about Earth, its space environment, our Solar System, and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services and promote European industries. The ESA also works closely with space organizations outside of Europe.

Space Image of São Miguel Island

The photo below was taken on September 8, 2016.

Click on the image to view it in high resolution and by zones, or click here

ESA Video about São Miguel Island

“The satellite Copernicus Sentinel-2A takes us to the largest island of the Azores: São Miguel. Resting at the crossroads of the Eurasian, African, and North American tectonic plates, the Azores form a chain of volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km west of mainland Portugal. The nine main islands are divided into three groups.

The archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal and is home to just under 250,000 people. We can see the capital of the region, Ponta Delgada, in the lower left corner of the image. The main transportation hub of the Azores, the João Paulo II International Airport in Ponta Delgada, is clearly visible in the same part of the image. Tourism is an important industry for the islands, with visitors enjoying pristine beaches and stunning landscapes.

Known locally as the Green Island, São Miguel is the most populous of the islands, and among the lush foliage, volcanic craters, and freshwater lakes, visitors have many options when it comes to visual attractions.

The largest freshwater lake in the Azores, the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, can be seen in the upper left corner of the image. It is located in a large volcanic crater and consists of two lakes: Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. To the right of the image, we can see Lagoa das Furnas in the Furnas Valley, famous for its volcanic cones. The volcanic landscape of the island has even influenced local culinary methods. Cozido das Furnas, a type of stew, is prepared by lowering a pot filled with meat and vegetables into the thermal springs scattered throughout the valley and letting it cook for about five hours.

The Azores islands are rich in flora and fauna and host a large number of resident and migratory bird populations. Efforts are being made to restore and expand the typical laurel forests of the Macaronesian islands (an area covering the archipelagos of Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde), as only about 2% of the native laurel forest remains on the islands.”