MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG) was launched in August 2025. Two of its instruments have already returned first data. Now it’s the turn of the Multiviewing multichannel multipolarisation imager (3MI), which was built by Leonardo and provides data on aerosols in our atmosphere.
The first images captured by 3MI are a view over Northern Africa, Italy and the eastern Mediterranean, captured on Aug. 28, 2025. The images confirm that the instrument is performing well as it delivers its preliminary data streams.
Here we see more detail from those first images. On the top we see a zoomed-in view showing Italy and Greece, with initial processing and corrections. The polarized bottom image clearly shows smoke from fires over Southern Europe, which is far less visible in the natural light image on the top.
Wildfires have been deadly across the summer of 2025, intensified by record-breaking heatwaves and scorching temperatures in parts of Southern Europe. This type of data will be vital for detecting and tracking wildfires as well as informing air-quality assessments and public-health responses across Europe and beyond.
Image Credit: Eumetsat
