The Earth from Space – Japan’s Mount Fuji

photo: Id 425417. Title Mount Fuji, Japan. Released 12/07/2019 10:00 am Copyright contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO ESA ©

At the end of week commencing 7 July the European Space Agency (ESA) published the photograph shown here taken on a Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission over Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain standing at 3776 metres. In this Spring image, the mountain can be seen coated in pure white snow.

This snow-capped mountain is often shrouded in cloud and fog, but the image was captured on a clear day, by the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite flying at a height of 800 km.

Mount Fuji is a symbol of Japan, and a popular tourist destination. Around 300,000 people climb the mountain every year – and in the image shown here several hiking trails can be seen leading to the base of the mountain.