ISS photo captures Atlantic sunglint 263 miles up, showing mirror-like ocean glare 11d ago

On March 5, 2025, the International Space Station, orbiting 263 miles above Earth, captured a striking image of sunglint on the Atlantic Ocean just after sunrise. This optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight reflects off the water's surface at an angle that matches a satellite sensor's view, creating a mirror-like glare. While visually impressive, sunglint can hinder remote sensing scientists, particularly oceanographers studying phytoplankton and ocean color, by obscuring normally visible features. Researchers have developed methods to filter out this contaminated imagery. However, sunglint also presents scientific opportunities, such as aiding in the detection of oil on water surfaces, whether from natural seeps or spills, due to oil's smoothing effect on water.


















