Before and After: How a Satellite Captured the Fires of Chernobyl

It will forever be etched in our memory as an unprecedented and significant event worldwide that April 26, 1986. That day marked the largest nuclear accident in history at the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Nuclear Power Plant, commonly known as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Just a few kilometers away, only 3 kilometers in distance, was one of the towns most affected and devastated by the accident, Pripyat, which at that time served as a refuge for all the workers at the plant and their families. From that day onward, the ideal regarding nuclear power plants changed forever. That day altered the history of our planet by demonstrating the true dangers of such incidents, especially considering the magnitude of the natural catastrophe it could cause, and indeed caused.

The story of this reactor has been, to this day, the subject of numerous acclaimed documentaries and series such as HBO's 'Chernobyl,' which have reflected over the years a reality not so distant in time but remains as vivid today as it did 30 years ago.

Finally, and fortunately, the heavy rains that occurred in the area a few days after the fire managed to extinguish the flames almost entirely, with help from firefighters and specialized helicopters. However, it has left us with truly astonishing images.

Once again, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite from ESA shows us these images of the entire process of the Chernobyl fires, serving not only as satellites for photography but also to have ongoing surveillance of vulnerable areas like this and to be able to act as quickly as possible, as in this case.

The images leave us completely stunned since we can clearly see the virulence and danger that a fire could provoke in Chernobyl. And how about you... what do you think of the images?