The summer solstice marked the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere as the Sun reached its northernmost point in the sky on June 21, 2026. Just six minutes after the solstice occurred, the Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I1) captured this full-disk view of Earth, with the day-night terminator clearly dividing the planet.
The image shows Europe and Africa illuminated by daylight while city lights remain visible along the eastern coast of South America, which was still in darkness. Beyond its striking beauty, the image highlights the capabilities of the Meteosat Third Generation mission, designed to deliver unprecedented detail and new data products that enhance European weather forecasting and improve the nowcasting of severe weather events.
Image Credit: ESA/Eumetsat
