NASA | Seeing Photosynthesis from Space

Plants use light for energy, and excess light causes them to emit a fluorescent glow. This glow, invisible to the human eye, is detected by satellites. Chloroplasts in plant cells convert sunlight into energy, with a small fraction emitted as fluorescent light. Satellite data over five years has been used to visualize global plant fluorescence, helping scientists distinguish between healthy and stressed vegetation. This data is crucial for developing better vegetation models and predicting plant interactions with the environment in a changing climate.

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