2025-07-05 08:20:16
Steve Engelmann
Pacific Palisades, California, United States
United States
NOAA-15
NOAA 15 was flying by with a great exposure of 88°, so I went for a short hike into the Santa Monica Mountains. The marine layer, known here as "June Gloom", is starting to burn off earlier in the morning as it was today. Most of the burned lots from the Palisades Fire have been cleared, but you can still hear some jackhammers at work. Six months after the start of the Palisades Fire most of the terrain is covered with plants. The burnt skeletons of taller shrubs have fresh, knee-high growth at the base. A friendly assortment of wildflowers bring yellow, orange, purple, white and red to the scene. Scarlet larkspur was showing off near the satellite capture.
After decoding the digital file, I was disappointed in the missing infrared channel. Looking at other NOAA 15 submissions, this seems to be a pattern. With the demise of NOAA 18, it looks like NOAA 15 may be next.
2025-06-13 11:13:18
Steve Engelmann
Pacific Palisades, California, United States
United States
NOAA-19
Returned to a spot in Pacific Palisades overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The overcast skies are typical "June gloom". In the second image you can see the opportunistic and invasive black mustard being among the first to recolonize after the fires. Below the bluffs there is a mobile home community which was completely wiped out by the Palisades Fire. On the left you can see the burned lots that have been cleared and covered with an organic pulp to help reduce dust. On the right of the same image are lots that have not been cleared yet.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been invaded by the National Guard which neither the mayor of governor requested. During the election, the current president categorized "illegal" immigrants as violent rapists and murders invading our country. Starting a week ago ICE officials started raiding a garment factory and a Home Depot where people go to find work. I didn't know the violent rapists and murders were also good a sewing and construction. Protests, mostly peaceful, showed up in a few areas. Questionable tactics targeting vulnerable workers justify the outrage.
2025-05-01 11:23:00
Prajvi, Lene, Ravza
Goldsmiths College Green, Lewisham, London
Lewisham, London
NOAA-19
Recording taken by Ravza, Lene, and Prajvi.
Lene holding the antenna.
22, mostly cloudy
2025-05-01 11:23:00
Prajvi, Lene, Ravza
Goldsmiths College Green, Lewisham, London
Lewisham, London
NOAA-19
Recording taken by Ravza, Lene, and Prajvi.
Lene holding the antenna.
22, mostly cloudy
2025-05-01 11:23:00
Prajvi Mandhani
Goldsmiths College Green, Lewisham, London
Lewisham, London
NOAA-19
Recording taken by Ravza, Lene, and Prajvi.
Lene holding the antenna.
22, mostly cloudy
2025-04-27 11:03:55
Steve Engelmann
Pacific Palisades, California, United States
United States
NOAA-19
On January 7th I captured a satellite pass in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains. The winds were wild and within an hour of the pass the Palisades Fire had started. Today I returned to the same location almost 4 months later.
The wind was gentle. It was cool as a light storm had passed the day before. In the distance there was the constant beeping of trucks backing up and the rattle of jackhammers. While the Palisades suburbs were a long way from recovery, the natural landscape seemed rejuvenated. This is a fire-climax biome. The tops of the shrubs (chamise, laurel sumac, coyote bush, and elderberry) were blackened, but from the base sprouted eager green shoots from the living roots. Many young wildflowers were present (mariposa lily, blue dicks, california brittlebush, bird's-foot trefoil and invasive black mustard). In my view, however, the clear winner is the wild cucumber. Early after the first rains, the cucumber took advantage of the lack of competition. Blackened hillsides turned green (and white flowers) as the vines stretched out in all directions. Many cucumber fruits are already the size of baseballs.
2025-03-08 10:45:22
Steve Engelmann
Santa Monica Pier, United States
United States
NOAA-18
Captured a satellite pass today from the Santa Monica pier. Sunny and 16°C, a typical March day. Two months after the fires that leveled most of Pacific Palisades it is hard to tell anything happened in the rest of the LA area. The pier is full with the usual sight-seers. Bike riders and volleyball payers do what they do. You have to know where to look for the evidence. At the water's edge interesting patterns are made of burned vegetation and ash. The new presidency is hard at work making us look the other way with declarations of the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. Apparently in America there are now only two genders. Meanwhile thousands of government jobs and agencies are being canceled. Services related to education, the National Parks and medical research are no more. And the Coast Guard Academy can no longer mention climate change in any of their trainings.
2025-02-15 09:54:38
Steve Engelmann
Santa Monica Pier, United States
United States
NOAA-19
Mostly sunny skies and 16°C - pretty normal for a southern California February. After 8 months of no rain, the last 3 weeks has helped to finally put out the fires and bring the area out of fire danger.