photo #5807041

While orbiting over Egypt, the MODIS instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite spotted a dense patch of fog blanketing the Nile Delta, north of Cairo. Because the delta is very flat and low, with plenty of moisture in the air due to evaporation from the many channels that fan out from the main river, this region is often filled with fog in the winter months when temperatures drop to around 10°C (50°F). It completely covers the lush green of the fertile land, resembling a tuft of cotton atop the spindly stem of the Nile Valley to the south.