Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
The eye of Hurricane Jeanne was centered over the narrow gap of water between Abaco Island, right, and Grand Bahama Island, left, on September 25, 2004, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image. As the eye of the storm passed directly over Abaco Island and skirted the north coast of Grand Bahama Island, it strengthened from a Category 2 storm to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. Between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. EDT, sustained wind speeds went from 165 kilometers per hour (105 mph) to 185 kph (115 mph), according to the National Hurricane Center. This image was acquired at 10:15 a.m. EDT, during the strengthening period. When Jeanne reached Category 3 status, it became the sixth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic season.
Note: Often times, due to the size, browsers have a difficult time opening and displaying images. If you experiece an error when clicking on an image link, please try directly downloading the image (using a right click, save as method) to view it locally.