NISAR Satellite Captures Giant Bird-Shaped Image Over Antarctica, Stunning Radar View Goes Viral
NISAR satellite captures a giant bird-shaped formation over East Antarctica using advanced radar. Know why the viral image resembles a hummingbird and what it reveals.
The Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite has captured a stunning image over East Antarctica that appears to show a giant bird with outstretched wings carved into the frozen landscape. The remarkable radar image, which has gone viral online, is being called 'the hummingbird' by NISAR scientists. Scroll down to know why the bird-like formation appears in Antarctica and what the image reveals about Earth's changing ice sheets.
Why Does the NISAR Antarctica Image Look Like a Giant Bird?
The bird-like shape is not an actual animal but a natural pattern formed by ice and rock. The image shows Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja, a rocky mountain peak rising above Antarctica's massive ice sheet.
As glaciers move northeast toward the ocean, the mountain blocks the flowing ice, creating immense stress that fractures the surrounding ice into deep cracks known as crevasses. Viewed from space, these fractures resemble the wings and body of a hummingbird, giving rise to the nickname. What Is QDENGA and How Does It Work? All About India's First Dengue Vaccine.
How Did NISAR Capture the Antarctica Image?
Unlike traditional Earth-observing satellites that depend on sunlight, NISAR uses advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology. It sends polarised microwave radar signals toward Earth and analyses the returning echoes, allowing it to observe the planet day and night, through clouds and even beneath parts of the ice surface. ‘A Proud Moment': Rahul Gandhi Hails Successful Skyroot Vikram-1 Launch.
The satellite's radar highlights different ice conditions using colours:
- Magenta: Smooth ice reflecting horizontally polarised radar signals.
- Green: Rough terrain and crevasses that scatter radar waves in multiple directions.
- White: Areas where both signal types return strongly, indicating complex ice structures beneath the surface.
This radar capability enables scientists to detect fractures, glacier movement and hidden features that cannot be seen in ordinary satellite images.
Why the NISAR Antarctica Image Matters
Beyond its striking appearance, the image showcases NISAR's ability to monitor some of the world's most inaccessible regions. Scientists will use data from the satellite to track glacier flow, study ice-sheet stability and better understand the impact of climate change on Antarctica, where melting ice contributes to global sea-level rise.
NISAR Satellite Captures Giant Bird-Shaped Image Over Antarctica
What Is NISAR?
NISAR is a joint Earth observation mission developed by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is the first satellite to carry two Synthetic Aperture Radar systems operating at different wavelengths: NASA's L-band radar and ISRO's S-band radar.
The spacecraft also features a massive 39-foot (12-metre) drum-shaped radar reflector, the largest radar antenna reflector ever launched by NASA. Designed to monitor earthquakes, glaciers, forests, ecosystems and land deformation, NISAR is expected to significantly improve global Earth observation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2026 01:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).