Skip to content
Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Biblical plague returns: Satellite images reveal blood-red Nile

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
The Copernicus program can help predict droughts.

A new image from European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-3A satellite reveals a blood-red River Nile, reminiscent of the Biblical plague of Moses' time.

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Highlights

By Kenya Sinclair (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
4/3/2016 (7 years ago)

Published in Africa

Keywords: Nile, satellite, Sentinel-3A, blood, plague, ESA

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Exodus 7:20, "Moses and Aaron did as the Lord ordered. He raised his staff and struck the waters of the River, with Pharaoh and his officials looking on, and all the water in the River turned to blood."

The scripture continues, stating the fish died and a foul odor was emitted from the blood-red waters. It was no longer safe to drink and so one of the plagues came to pass.

As the ESA satellite image suggests, the Nile is once again blood-red. However, this time the Nile is not the recipient of God's plague - it was merely photographed using a Sea and Land Surface Temperature Dariometer (SLSTR), which measures energy radiating from the Earth's surface.

What appears to be a blood-red river is actually an image of the vegetation growing alongside it. 

The purpose of the satellite, which has joined more than 12 others in orbit above the Earth, is part of the Copernicus program, which the ESA claims to be the most advanced Earth observation system ever to be launched.

Two of the satellites already in orbit have radar and high-resolution cameras and Sentinel-3A includes instruments to measure sea and surface temperatures. 

Combined, the satellites can help detect upcoming droughts, detect small changes in surface temperatures that can predict crop failures and can literally scan the entire world in just over 24 hours.

Data can be received within hours, which allows scientists to understand data in near-real time. Other implications of the technology remain to be announced.

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.