Jan 14, 2020 - Energy & Environment

Clouds from Australia's extreme fires can be seen from space

Clouds over australia

Photo: NASA

The sheer size and scale of the fires raging in Australia can perhaps best be seen from space.

The big picture: Australia's extreme fires have been made worse by climate change, which exacerbated the country's hot and dry conditions.

Details: Astronauts on the International Space Station caught sight of smoke from the historic fires raging in Australia earlier this month.

  • The station was orbiting 269 miles above the Tasman Sea when this photo was taken on Jan. 4.
  • This season's bushfires in Australia have been far worse than usual, with severe drought and higher-than-normal heat fueling the flames.

Go deeper... Australia's deadly fires: What you need to know

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