January 28, 2021 - Cuba

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   On January 27, 2021 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
   Western Cuba.

   The largest island in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba sits only 150 km (93
   miles) south of Key West, Florida. The long and narrow island measures
   about 750 miles (1,207 km) from east to west, but only about 60 miles
   (97 km) wide in most places. With a land mass about the size of the
   U.S. state of Pennsylvania, Cuba enjoys over 2,300 miles (3,700 km) of
   coastline. About two-thirds of the island are lowlands or plains but
   the rest of the landscape folds into rugged mountains, especially in
   the northeast. The spectacular blue-and-green waters off the southern
   coast marks the Gulf of Batabano. A rich fishery and source of
   commercial sponge collection, the brilliant colors come from the
   shallow depth of the Gulf waters. Coral reefs in the Gulf draw tourists
   to the port of Batabano which sits on the southern coast almost due
   south of Havana.

   The Isla de Juventud—the large island southwest of the Gulf of
   Batabano—is also popular with tourists, who come to enjoy such
   pleasures as snorkeling on the coral reefs or exploring a system of
   caves. One cave is said to have over 200 pictograms created by the
   island’s aboriginal people. Once a haven for pirates, the island has
   gone through many name changes since it was dubbed La Evangelista by
   Christopher Columbus in 1494. Some other names include Isla de Cotorras
   (Island of Parrots), Isla de Tesoros (Treasure Island), and Isla de
   Pinos (Pine Island) before Fidel Castro changed the name to Isla de
   Juventud (Island of Youth) in 1978.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 1/27/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (32.7 KB),  500m (111.6 KB),  250m (326.4
   KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-01-28
 
