Watch Photosynthesis Light Up Earth From Space

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By Vignesh Ramachandran2013-07-29 00:00:12 UTC

We can't see it with the naked human eye, so NASA scientists have figured out how to use satellites to show plants undergoing photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is a process plants go through to convert sunlight into energy. As explained in the video above, NASA researchers are using satellites in orbit to map photosynthesis across Earth, monitoring plants' health. NASA says healthy plants undergoing active photosynthesis show lots of fluorescence, while stressed plants or those shutting down have low or no fluorescence.

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These maps can uncover trends in photosynthesis over time. NASA says these records could help farmers detect stressed crops early and help ecologists "better understand global vegetation and carbon cycle processes."

What made the project difficult was the need for satellite instruments to distinguish the plants' fluorescent emissions from those in the atmosphere and from reflected sunlight, according to NASA.

The researchers' findings from this project are published in journal Atmospheric Measurement Techniques . Watch more about this initiative from NASA, below:

Image: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Topics: Earth, NASA, satellite, space, US & World