🥩 The Quebec crater that passes for meat

From Earth orbit, our planet sometimes reveals landscapes that evoke abstract paintings more than geographical maps. Behind this artistic impression lies a wealth of scientific information, collected by satellites such as those of the Copernicus Sentinel mission. Instead of simple photographs, these instruments record Earth in various wavelengths, including those invisible to the human eye.

Scientists then combine this data to create false-color images, which make it easier to distinguish between forests, tundra, open water, and ice. This process transforms technical observations into visions that are both aesthetic and useful, revealing otherwise imperceptible details.


For example, a recent image shows a striking circular structure in the Canadian landscape, which immediately catches the eye. Without context, this image would resemble a piece of fatty meat seen up close. But that is far from the case.

This circular shape, often called the "eye of Quebec," corresponds to the Manicouagan crater, located in the Canadian province. It formed about 214 million years ago following the impact of an asteroid approximately five kilometers (about 3 miles) in diameter. The collision left a scar perfectly visible from space, with René-Levasseur Island at its center, like a pupil in the middle of the eye.

Today, this crater houses a reservoir created in the 1960s for a hydroelectric project, showing how an ancient formation can be integrated into modern infrastructure. The Sentinel-2 satellites, with their thirteen spectral bands, allow these changes to be visualized with a precision of up to ten meters (about 33 feet), offering a broad perspective while retaining local details.

In the image, the bright colors have specific meanings: white indicates snow, blue corresponds to ice or frozen surfaces, and red marks dense vegetation, such as boreal forest or tundra. This area is part of a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve, adding an ecological dimension to its geological interest. The Manicouagan River, visible leaving the reservoir, reminds us of the interaction between natural processes and human developments.

These satellite observations illustrate how space technology allows us to better understand our environment, by superimposing timescales ranging from prehistory to the modern era.