image: Numerous bushfires continue plaguing the Northern Territory in Australia. Seen in this Aqua satellite image taken on June 22, 2014, at 04:45 UTC (12:45 a.m. EDT) red dots or "hot spots" are dispersed across the landscape. Each hot spot is an area where the thermal detectors on the MODIS instrument recognized temperatures higher than background. When accompanied by plumes of smoke, as in this image, such hot spots are diagnostic for fire. Most of the areas where the hot spots are located are in uninhabited areas such as national parks. view more
Credit: NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption: NASA/Goddard, Lynn Jenner