On August 7, 2003, the NASA Aqua MODIS instrument acquired this image of Ireland on the first day of summer, with most of the island completely unobscured by cloud cover. Called the Emerald Isle for a good reason, Ireland is draped in vibrant shades of green amidst the blue Atlantic Ocean and Celtic (south) and Irish (east) Seas. Faint ribbons of blue-green phytoplankton drift in the waters of the Celtic Sea, just south of Dublin. Dublin itself appears as a large grayish-brown spot on the Republic of Ireland´s northeastern coast. This large capital city (population 1.12 million) sits on the River Liffey, effectively splitting the city in half. Northern Ireland´s capital city, Belfast, also sits on a river: the River Lagan. This city, though its population is only a fifth of the size of Dublin s, is also clearly visible in the image as a grayish-brown spot on the coast of the Irish Sea. Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC #nasa #nasagoddard #ireland #fromspace ...