image: Tropical Storm Alex intensified by 11 p.m. EDT on June 29 and became the first hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season. NASA satellites continue to provide visible, infrared and microwave satellite data to forecasters to help the National Hurricane Center forecast Alex's intensity and track, and NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Alex hours before it became a hurricane yesterday. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite is one of those NASA instruments that provide forecasters data. MODIS captured a visible image of Alex on June 29 at 3:35 p.m. EDT as it churned over the Gulf of Mexico, and provided a high resolution image of this large storm's extent in the Gulf of Mexico. view more
Credit: Image: NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team Caption: NASA, Rob Gutro