Space

Hunting Red Leaves with Satellites

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Briefings

NASA's PACE satellite observed Earth's vegetation from September 29 to October 4, 2026, revealing red foliage peaks in Alaska, northern Canada, and northern Russia. A second map from October 5 to 11 showed the redness shifting equatorward, with significant changes in the Mid-Atlantic, U.S. Southeast, and China. The study utilized the OCI instrument on PACE to measure anthocyanins and carotenoids, tracking pigment ratios to identify peak colors. While the satellite detected high redness in northern regions, some red areas may be due to crops or clouds, and the data represents a snapshot of seasonal changes.

Key points

• The PACE satellite's OCI instrument measured vegetation redness across the entire planet using 286 spectral bands between September 29 and October 4, 2026.
• Red foliage peaked in northern Alaska, northern Canada, and northern Russia during the first week of the period, with the redness shifting equatorward by October 5 to 11.

Context

This analysis uses NASA's PACE satellite data to track seasonal leaf color changes, comparing two weeks of observations to identify geographic shifts in red pigment levels.

Limitations

The data is a snapshot from two weeks in 2026; some red areas may be due to crops or clouds, and the satellite only covers global vegetation, not specific cities or regions.

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