The European Space Agency (ESA) released an image acquired on 5 April 2026 by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, depicting Etosha National Park located in northern Namibia.
This false-color image highlights the Etosha salt pan, which stretches approximately 130 km from east to west and covers an area of 4,760 km². The pan appears bright white to the human eye, while the image reveals shades ranging from white to light or dark blue depending on the presence and clarity of water.
At the start of the dry season, the average daily temperature ranges between 14°C and 30°C. The image also shows several smaller salt pans still containing water, including the Natukanaoka Pan, as well as the Ekuma River flowing from Lake Oponono toward the Etosha pan.
The surrounding vegetation, detected using Sentinel-2’s near-infrared band, appears bright red. It mainly consists of savannas, grasslands, and mopane forests, which provide habitat for elephants, giraffes, and leopards. The savanna also supports wildebeests, lions, and springboks.
Finally, some red areas on the pan indicate the presence of blue-green algae and salt-tolerant grasses adapted to this harsh environment.