THE GIANT AND DEADLY OKLAHOMA TORNADO, AS SEEN FROM SPACE

This is what the destructive 20 May Oklahoma tornado looked like from space.

The Moore, Oklahoma Tornado, From Space
By Dan Nosowitz, Popular Science, 22 May 2013.

Satellites from NASA, NOAA, and others captured the devastating tornado that this week destroyed many towns and houses and claimed the lives of several (the exact death toll is still unclear) in Oklahoma [USA]. Read on for a tour through those shots.

1. Moore, Oklahoma

Taken by NASA'S Aqua MODIS satellite, this image of Moore, Oklahoma was taken at 2:40pm local time, just at the beginning of the tornado's life.

2. 15 Minutes Later...

At 2:55pm, from this wider shot taken by NOAA’s GOES-13 satellite, you can see the line of thunderstorms that created the tornado. (It was generated near the bottom of that line of clouds.)

3. A Closer View

Here you can see a closer look at the shot taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. The core of the storm is called a supercell thunderstorm, from which the tornado was spawned.

4. A Wider View

Here's a wider view of the storm - highly recommended you go to Flickr and check out the animation. The box in this image is the location of the storm.

5. At Night

This night-time image shows Oklahoma's power outages. Everything in yellow is dark. This is a composite image made from shots before and after the tornado - what's different (the power being out) is shown in yellow.

6. The Full Disk

Here's a full-on "disk" shot of the planet, taken by NOAA's GOES-13 satellite. (Fun fact: NOAA is pronounced like the name "noah.") You can see the storm over the central part of the US.

[via Flickr]

Video: Time-lapse of the Oklahoma tornado

Video via Dvice

Top image: A false-colour, wider infrared water vapour view of the storm system during the tornado outbreak in Oklahoma on May 20, 2013, as seen from NOAA geostationary (GOES) satellites. Image via Slate.

[Source: Popular Science. Edited. Top image and video added.]

See also: The Oklahoma Tornado: Some Facts and Pictures

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