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Death Valley, California, is the hottest place in North America. The summer temperatures regularly reach 120°F (49°C), and overnight lows aren’t much better, still in the 90s°F (mid-30s°C). The dusty desert landscape seems like the last place you’d see a field full of flowers, but for the first time in 10 years, that’s exactly what happened. Death Valley just concluded its superbloom, a term used to describe the perfect conditions in which the cracks of the desert floor open to reveal purple, yellow, pink, and white flowers. The juxtaposition of the harsh, hot horizon cloaked in color was a spectacular sight at Death Valley National Park (Death Valley NP)—and luckily, some photographers and videographers were on hand to capture the magic.

Death Valley NP is not only the hottest place on the continent, but also the driest. The park typically receives about 2 inches of rain in a year. Between November 2025 and January 2026, however, things were different; the park welcomed 2.5 inches of rain in just a few months. The extra moisture spurred dormant seeds, so this spring saw bountiful blooms. The flowers began to emerge in early February and were gone by early May.

Superblooms generally happen once a decade. In the past, Death Valley experienced them in 1998, 2005, and 2016. They are important to the ecosystem, as more flowers attract more pollinators such as butterflies, birds, and bees that would otherwise avoid Death Valley.

Scroll down to see some of the gorgeous desert flowers from the 2026 Death Valley superbloom, and begin marking your calendars for the next one in a decade or so.

Death Valley just concluded its superbloom, a term used to describe the perfect conditions in which purple, yellow, pink, and white flowers cover the harsh landscape.

 

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The park typically receives about 2 inches of rain in a year. Between November 2025 and January 2026, however, things were different; the park welcomed 2.5 inches of rain in just a few months.

 

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The extra moisture spurred dormant seeds, so this spring saw bountiful blooms. The flowers began to emerge in early February and were gone by early May.

 

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A post shared by Susie Kara Slater (@susiehikes)

Superblooms generally happen once a decade. In the past, Death Valley experienced them in 1998, 2005, and 2016.

 

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A post shared by Nicole Zelkowitz // Travel + Adventure (@avecnicole)

 

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They are important to the ecosystem, as more flowers attract more pollinators like butterflies, birds, and bees that would otherwise avoid Death Valley.

 

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A post shared by Marlon Holden (@marlonholden)

 

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Source: Death Valley National Park's First Major Superbloom in a Decade

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READ: Rare Superbloom in Death Valley Cloaks the Desert Floor in Vibrant Florals

“Bloom”

What on Earth does your name look like? NASA can show you—literally—using satellite imagery. The government agency created an interactive tool called Your Name in Landsat, which displays each letter of a word spelled out using its extensive record of the Earth as seen from satellites. Landsat has been recording bird’s-eye-view images of our world for more than 50 years, and through this website, it has created a clever way to share its vast collection.

The tool is easy to use. To get started, simply type your name (or the word you want to spell) in the submission box and click the “Enter” button. Your word will then appear, showing slivers of Earth that happen to resemble a letter of the alphabet. Click on, or hover your cursor over, each image to see where in the world these places are—down to their coordinates. And best of all, you can learn more about each location that spells your word. Simply click on the name of the place to see a larger image and learn the context behind the photo.

The Landsat tool has a secondary benefit beyond being a fun way to visualize data; within the span of a single word, we’re reminded of the amazing biodiversity in our world. This might include a lake in Norway, a desert in Utah, and a landscape after the flood. Each entry invites us to dive deeper and learn more.

Visit the Your Name in Landsat website to generate your name, and be sure to try it more than once. NASA has compiled more than 26 photos, so entering the same word might bring up a different variation of images.

See what on Earth your name looks like—literally—when you try NASA’s Your Name in Landsat tool.

Enter your name on the website, and it will display each letter of a word spelled out using its extensive record of the Earth as seen from satellites.

“Grow”

You can type up to 50 letters for each name generation.

“MyModernMet”

Your Name in Landsat: Website

Source: NASA's Satellite Name Generator Helps People Spell Their Name Using Photos of the Earth

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READ: NASA Unveils Interactive Tool That Can Spell Your Name With Satellite Imagery of Earth

 

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On May 1, a shimmering, rainbow-like cloud appeared over Bogor, Indonesia, briefly halting traffic as locals stopped to record it. The stunning spectacle might look like its been generated by AI, but it’s actually a real atmospheric effect. Like a regular rainbow, it is caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets in the air. However, this rarer variation only forms under specific cloud conditions, which makes it especially striking.

TikTok user sipa5402 was among those who stopped to film the mesmerizing rainbow clouds, and her videos quickly went viral. As of writing, one clip has racked up more than 46 million views, with commenters comparing the clouds to a Mario Kart race track.

Although it might look like a scene from a video game, the magical clouds are actually a real-world event. “The phenomenon seen in the video is a common occurrence in the atmosphere and is related to atmospheric optics,” Ida Pramuwardani, acting director of public meteorology at the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG), told Detik News. “Rainbow colors appear because sunlight interacts with water droplets in the air, both from rain residue and rain that is currently occurring on the other side of the Sentul area, as in the video.”

The reason the iridescent clouds look so dreamlike is because there’s clouds blocking part of the rainbow. “At the same time,” the meteorologist explains, “there are towering cumulus clouds that can cover part of the rainbow, so that the shape looks incomplete or looks like a ‘rainbow cloud.’”

Despite its striking appearance, experts say there’s no cause for alarm. Pramuwardani says, “This phenomenon is not a direct sign of an impending storm, but rather indicates the growth of convective clouds and the possibility of local rain in the area, even though the observation point is still clear or has not experienced rain.”

On May 1, a shimmering, rainbow-like cloud appeared over Bogor, Indonesia, briefly halting traffic as locals stopped to record it.

@sipa5402 #fyp ♬ suara asli – arka – arkasc28

The stunning spectacle is a common phenomenon caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets in the air.

@sipa5402 #fyp ♬ original sound – Visit

@jakarta.picks A rare rainbow cloud phenomenon in Bogor, turning the sky into a breathtaking masterpiece ☁️ Jonggol, Bogor . . #placetogojkt #sky #rainbow #iridescence #phenomenon ♬ suara asli – arka – arkasc28

Sources: Magnficient Iridescent Cloud Appears Over Indonesia and Stops Traffic; Rainbow Clouds Appear in the Sky of Jonggol, Bogor, Here's the BMKG's Explanation

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READ: Dreamy Iridescent Clouds Appear Over Indonesia That Look Like Rainbow Road From ‘Mario Kart’

Japan is one of the most spectacular places to be during spring. People travel from all over the world to catch the sakura (cherry blossom) trees in full bloom, but there’s another seasonal event that’s just as breathtaking. The Fuji Shibazakura Festival, held at the Fuji Motosuko Resort, transforms the landscape into a vibrant sea of pink at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Running from mid-April through late May, the annual festival showcases around 500,000 blooming shibazakura—also known as moss phlox—spreading across the ground in vivid shades of pink, purple, and white. Unlike cherry blossoms, which bloom briefly on trees, shibazakura grows on the ground, creating a dense carpet of color that lasts for weeks.

The carefully arranged flower fields stretch across roughly 15,000 square meters (almost 18,000 square yards), allowing visitors to immerse themselves in “a symphony of pink.” But beyond the flowers, the festival is also home to art installations like the reflective Sparkling Flower Drop Mirror and the Door to Happiness viewing point that perfectly frames Mount Fuji. The festival also includes a Peter Rabbit English Garden, where visitors can take a stroll through a British-style oasis with Mount Fuji in the background.

When you’re done exploring and fancy a snack, the festival stalls serve regional specialties such as Fujinomiya yakisoba and Yoshida udon. And there’s even Sakura Churros, shaped like the Japanese character for “cherry blossom.”

If you’re lucky enough to be in Japan for cherry blossom season, you can get to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival in under two hours from Tokyo. The festival remains open daily until May 24, 2026. Find out more about colorful event on the Fuji Shibazakura Festival website.

Running from mid-April through late May, the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, in Japan transforms the landscape into a vibrant sea of pink at the foot of Mount Fuji.

The annual festival showcases around 500,000 blooming shibazakura in vivid shades of pink, purple, and white.

The carefully arranged flower fields stretch across roughly 15,000 square meters, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in “a symphony of pink.”

Fuji Motosuko Resort: Website | Instagram

All images via Fuji Shibazakura Festival.

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Immersive “Cherry Blossom” Installation Lets You Get Lost in an Endless Sea of Pink

READ: 500,000 Pink Flowers Are in Bloom Beneath Mount Fuji Right Now for Japan’s Fuji Shibazakura Festival

 

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Deep in northeastern Thailand, an unexpected natural wonder rises above the forest canopy. At first glance, the massive stone shapes look almost alive. Known as Hin Sam Wan, or Three Whale Rock, these 75-million-year-old sandstone formations resemble a family of whales gliding through a sea of trees. From the right vantage point, the illusion feels almost surreal. As a result, the site has captured the attention of travelers, photographers, and geology enthusiasts alike.

Three Whale Rock sits inside Phu Sing Forest Park in Bueng Kan Province, near the border with Laos. Over millions of years, wind, rain, and shifting tectonic forces carved the sandstone into its current form. Rather than breaking apart, the dense, quartz-rich rock resisted erosion and slowly rounded into smooth, elongated shapes.

Originally, rivers and floodplains deposited the sandstone during the late Cretaceous period. Eventually, natural weathering sculpted the stone into the whale-like silhouettes visible today. Because of this long process, the formations offer a striking example of how time can transform simple sediment into something extraordinary.

From above, the three rocks appear to float across the forest. Visitors often describe them as “mother,” “father,” and “baby” whales gliding through a green ocean. Well-marked trails guide hikers to the backs of the two larger formations. From there, sweeping views stretch across the Mekong River, the surrounding forest, and the distant mountains of Laos.

While the formations are not fossilized remains of actual cetaceans, the illusion is striking. The visual coincidence is part of what has drawn photographers, hikers, and curious travelers to the site.

But the appeal of Three Whale Rock goes beyond its appearance. The formation highlights the power of geological processes that work slowly but relentlessly. Over time, erosion created shapes that mirror familiar life forms. As a result, the site encourages visitors to see nature with renewed curiosity.

From shaded forest paths to exposed stone ridges, Three Whale Rock offers more than a scenic viewpoint. It provides a rare encounter with deep time, where natural forces and human imagination intersect. Ultimately, the stone whales remind us that nature often creates its most compelling art slowly, patiently, and without intention.

Inside Phu Sing Forest Park in Thailand, there’s an incredible rock formation that looks like three giant whales.

 

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It’s known as Hin Sam Wan, or Three Whale Rock.

 

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A post shared by Amiko (@amikokung)

The 75-million-year-old sandstone was naturally formed and smoothed over the years.

 

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A post shared by Amazing Thailand (@tourismthailand)

Now, Three Whale Rock is a tourist destination offering breathtaking views and a reminder of all the beauty nature has to offer.

 

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Source: Three Whale Rock: Thailand's 75-million-year-old stone leviathans that look like they're floating in a sea of trees; Thailand’s tourism goes green; Geodiversity in Khorat Geopark, Thailand: Approaches to geoconservation and sustainable development

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READ: Natural Rock Formations Look Like Giant Whales Swimming Through a Forest in Thailand

@ilregnodelporcino poesia sotto la pioggia, funghi di altro pianeta .#porcini #funghi #boletus #mushrooms #passionefunghi ♬ suono originale – Il porcino

Everyone has their own thing that excites them. Some people love crafting, others find joy in cooking, but for a growing community, mushroom foraging is a real passion. In Italy, two friends known as Il Porcino on social media share their adventures hunting for rare, edible mushrooms, showing just how deeply it’s taken root.

One recent video shows the two guys finding a cluster of huge Boletus edulis, a dream discovery for fungi foragers. These prized porcini are highly sought after for their rich flavor and are becoming increasingly rare in the wild. The footage shows how the two fungi friends become genuinely emotional from such an exciting discovery. They write on Instagram (translated from Italian): “It’s great to go mushroom hunting when they’re in season, but it’s even better when you find gems like these in times of scarcity.”

Foraging isn’t only about finding amazing mushrooms though. It’s just as much about being in nature and enjoying time together. The pair share on Instagram, “Mushroom hunting is not just about gathering and filling baskets, but also about the moments you experience in the woods, surrounded by peace and tranquillity.”

Wild mushroom hunting is a long-standing tradition in Italy, especially in rural and mountainous regions. It’s an exciting seasonal ritual that combines time in nature with the excitement of finding ingredients that are central to Italian cooking.

Check out some of Il Porcino’s videos below and follow them on Instagram and TikTok for more.

In Italy, two friends known as Il Porcino on social media share their adventures foraging for rare, edible mushrooms.

 

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A post shared by Il Porcino (@il.porcino)

Wild mushroom hunting is a long-standing tradition in Italy, especially in rural and mountainous regions.

 

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A post shared by Il Porcino (@il.porcino)

These prized porcini are highly sought after for their rich flavor and are becoming increasingly rare in the wild.

@ilregnodelporcino delirio ai 2000 metri, sotto gli alberi spettacolo purooo #porcini #funghi #boletus #mushrooms ♬ suono originale – Il porcino

@ilregnodelporcino Pt 2 #porcino #porcini #funghi #fungo #mushrooms #mycology #boletus #boletusedulis #mushroom #funghiporcini ♬ suono originale – Il porcino

@ilregnodelporcino nel pascolo tra erba e mirtilli #boletus #funghiporcini ♬ suono originale – Il porcino

Il Porcino: Instagram | TikTok

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READ: Italian Foragers Get Emotional When They Find Giant Porcini in the Wild

@plantsinjars_tc #tissueculture ♬ original sound – Laur

If you lovingly tend to your own indoor jungle, you might have found yourself obsessively searching for rare plants to add to your collection. Some plant collectors pay hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars for special flora that can’t be found in your standard garden store. However, one YouTuber name Laur (of Plants in Jars) admits that she may have “accidentally crashed the rare plant market” by using a process called “tissue culture” (sometimes referred to as TC) to easily clone hard-to-find plant species.

Tissue culture involves taking a small piece of tissue from an existing plant, sterilizing it, and placing it in a nutrient-rich gel where it can grow rapidly. This precise method produces plants that are genetically identical to the original specimen and can generate hundreds of clones in a short time. This means that anyone with a home lab kit can replicate rare and pricey plants. Laur even sells tissue culture starter kits on her website with step-by-step instructions on how to use them.

In a recent YouTube video, Laur explains how she bought a Begonia plant for $125 and then cloned it over 50 times from a leaf sample. “That’s over $6,000 worth of plants, all in exchange for about two hours of hands-on work.” She then goes on to explain exactly how she did it. “I think that the era of gatekeeping rare plants is over,” she said. “Even if you do tissue culture very badly, you can still end up with a lot of plants. It’s a very powerful propagation tool.”

While the tissue culture method is certainly exciting, some plant-lovers argue that by cloning plants, you’d be preventing the natural genetic variation seen in seed-grown plants. Others argue that cloning is actually less harmful to nature, since it replaces the need to harvest rare plants into extinction.

Laur likened the debate to the marketing of lab-grown versus mined diamonds, pointing out that demand for mined diamonds dropped as lab-grown alternatives gained popularity. In a similar way, lab-grown meat offers an alternative to raising and slaughtering animals.

Although tissue culture has existed for several decades, it has gained renewed popularity in recent years. Social media channels like Plants in Jars have helped demystify the process, showing just how accessible it can be for home growers. Laur says, “Tissue culture is what collapses artificial scarcity the fastest, not just because it’s a very effective method for cloning lots and lots of plants and more people are doing it, but also because more people know about it and understand it in the first place.”

Plenty of people online are in agreement with Laur’s perspective. One person wrote, “As an ecologist and conservationist not only is TC able to lower prices of rare plants, it ALSO saturates the market for poached wild plants as well!! TC is an act of conservation.”

Learn more about tissue culture by watching the video below.

One YouTuber name Laur (of Plants in Jars) admits that she may have “accidentally crashed the rare plant market” by using a process called “tissue culture” to easily clone hard-to-find plant species.

Plants in Jars: Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Source: I accidentally crashed the rare plant market

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READ: YouTuber Disrupts Rare Plant Market by Revealing How to Clone Rare Species at Home

Screenshot: Instagram

It was a moment when a dream came true. After a long trek through a tiger-patrolled Sumatran rainforest (an island in Indonesia), Dr. Chris Thorogood and his team found Rafflesia hasseltii, a plant that’s been “seen by more tigers than people.” And even luckier for them, the rare plant, nicknamed the “Tiger-faced Mushroom,” was in the midst of blooming—something that takes up to nine months to develop and is only open for a few days.

In a clip posted by Thorogood, an associate professor of biology at Oxford University, the biologists were understandably emotional; they traveled day and night to find Rafflesia hasseltii. Team member and Indonesian flower hunter Septian “Deki” Andrikithat is seen in the video on his knees, sobbing with joy over this amazing discovery. At first, we don’t see the flower—just the reaction. Thorogood then cuts to the enormous blossom, which has large, speckled petals and a center that looks like the outside of a dragon fruit.

“This is very amazing,” Andrikithat shared, explaining that he had been looking for the elusive flower for 13 years. “I’m the luckiest guy alive,” Thorogood added. Amid the excitement, the team found time to sit and watch the flower quietly unfurl. It was an otherworldly experience, according to Thorogood, who could hardly believe their luck. “The odds of that are—well, I don’t even know what,” he told The New York Post, “It’s like it opened specially for us.”

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic plants, meaning that it spends its life inside a host plant—in the Rafflesia hasseltii’s case, a tropical vine. It only appears above ground to bloom. Its flower emits a foul odor similar to rotten meat, classifying it colloquially as a “corpse flower.”

Watch the incredible discovery and emotion that followed, below.

A group of biologists was overcome with emotion after finding the rare Rafflesia hasseltii in bloom.

 

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The group trekked day and night through a tiger-patrolled Sumatran rainforest to find the plant. One member of the team had been looking for it for 13 years.

 

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A post shared by Chris Thorogood (@illustratingbotanist)

 

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A post shared by Chris Thorogood (@illustratingbotanist)

Dr. Chris Thorogood: Instagram

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READ: Biologists Overcome With Emotion After Finding Rare Flower Blooming in Indonesian Rainforest

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What makes Southern California such an alluring place to live in is the way the city blends with nature. Residences and streets pop out among the mountains, valleys, canyons, and creeks, offering a continuous respite from urban life. Sadly, this has often meant a disruption for the local animals, who see their habitats torn apart by highways and are often at risk of being run over when trying to get around. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which is under construction, hopes to finally fix this. Now, the team behind it just hit a major milestone.

Set to become the world’s largest wildlife overpass, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, is currently being built over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, located 35 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. When finished, it will unite the Santa Monica Mountains with the Simi Hills in the Santa Susana range. Construction began in April 2022, and the final horizontal girders were installed in May 2024. As it enters its final stage of construction, crews have begun laying nearly 5,000 native plants on the structure.

“The construction to date has really been about things like the rebar and the concrete, but we’re starting to put in for me what’s the important part, which is the nature on top of the freeway,” Beth Pratt, who is the regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, told KCLU. “We put the soil on (the crossing) earlier this year, and today, we’re putting the first native plants on top from the nursery, to start creating habitat for wildlife.”

To make sure the flora matched the surrounding landscape, a team collected seeds around the crossing. “It was a lot of work for our nursery team,” explained Pratt. “They started years ago. They gathered over a million hyperlocal seeds from a 5-mile radius, and have been growing them in our native plant nursery. I feel like I’ve watched these plants grow up, and today was graduation.”

The overpass has been thoroughly planned to attract the maximum amount of species. This includes mountain lions, bobcats, deer, bats, and birds, all with the mission to help boost a one-acre wildlife habitat. The project will also make the road safer for drivers, as Pew suggests wildlife overpasses can reduce collisions with fauna by up to 90%. If it all goes according to plan, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will be ready in fall 2026.

Crews have begun laying nearly 5,000 native plants on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, located northwest of Los Angeles.

A wildlife crossing over a Southern California highway is being planted with native plants to prepare as a nature-alike passage for local wildlife, including animals like mountain lions, to cross over safely pic.twitter.com/GtISe2bwpK

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2025

Slated to be completed in fall 2026, it will become the world’s largest wildlife overpass.

Some fun photos from our planting on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing yesterday.

Taken by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images. pic.twitter.com/n8UhmMxfQp

— Beth Pratt (@bethpratt) October 22, 2025

Sources: Another milestone for ambitious 101 Freeway wildlife crossing: First native plants go in; Milestone reached in the construction of the world's largest wildlife crossing in the Conejo Valley

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Artist Covertly ”Vandalized“ Public Sign, Actually Improved Traffic on LA Freeway

READ: First Native Plants Arrive at Upcoming World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles

The destructive Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean, dramatically affecting Jamaica and Cuba. News reports say the storm has ravaged towns, left millions without power, and killed dozens of people. The catastrophic nature of the storm was forecasted days before it touched down, prompting storm chasers to fly right into the hurricane when it took shape. One such adventurer was a hurricane hunter that goes by Flynonymous WX, who got some eerie yet breathtaking HD footage from inside the eye of the hurricane and the apparent calm within the storm.

Self-described as an “unprofessional photographer and United States Air Force Hurricane Hunter,” the X (formerly Twitter) user made five passes through the hurricane from sunrise to noon alongside his team. After braving the thick clouds, the crew was greeted with an otherworldly view, as a towering wall of swirling clouds covered their field of vision.

“People often ask about risk in flying through storms like Melissa, but we have procedures and train extensively,” Flynonymous WX wrote. One such danger was captured by the crew of the NOAA mission aboard the Lockheed WP-3D Orion. A clip shared on X captures the extreme turbulence they encountered on their way to hunt down the hurricane, in hopes of collecting weather information that helps scientists better understand this phenomenon.

Another hurricane hunter that ventured into Melissa is Matthew Cappucci. The meteorologist took a different approach, flying over the eye at night from 10,000 feet above ground. Though his image is not as detailed as the other footage, his accompanying caption paints a better picture of the sobering visuals. “That’s Melissa’s eyewall,” he explains. “The eye was a PERFECT circle. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like being in a soup can and looking up.”

As powerful as all of the images and footage are, they are but a painful indicator of what the people who call the Caribbean home are facing. The damage extends beyond the countries where it made landfall, as Melissa also caused floods in Haiti and the Bahamas. To support those in need, you can donate to grassroots organizations like United Way of Jamaica, supporting local farmers; American Friends of Jamaica, offering disaster relief to Jamaica; GiveDirectly, delivering emergency cash to families; CORE, providing emergency supplies; and Direct Relief, providing medical aid. You can also donate to the American Red Cross and British Red Cross, which are currently on the ground in the affected areas.

Storm chaser Flynonymous WX flew into the eye of Hurricane Melissa and got some eerily striking footage.

A thread of videos from today’s flight into Hurricane Melissa

In this first one we are entering from the southeast just after sunrise and the bright arc on the far northwest eye wall is the light just beginning to make it over the top from behind us. pic.twitter.com/qGdpp7lbCN

— Tropical Cowboy of Danger (@FlynonymousWX) October 27, 2025

Third pass through Melissa. GoPro in side window as different camera looking forward shooting in ultra high res 8k. Not sure when that might get processed as the file turned out ridiculous. Barely had HD space for it and MacBook Pro promptly chocked when I tried to edit it pic.twitter.com/3p430gPvZv

— Tropical Cowboy of Danger (@FlynonymousWX) October 27, 2025

Fourth pass through Melissa this morning, another side view due to my hairbrained attempt to shoot 8k video out the front. pic.twitter.com/1fH2Rm5Z8H

— Tropical Cowboy of Danger (@FlynonymousWX) October 27, 2025

Fifth and final pass through Hurricane Melissa for our crew today. Just after noon entering from the NW corner exiting SE. pic.twitter.com/BVtyIlZpsx

— Tropical Cowboy of Danger (@FlynonymousWX) October 27, 2025

Storm chaser Matthew Cappucci also flew over the eye at night.

I wish there as a better way to shoot in the dark from a plane at 10,000 feet with no lightning, but alas…

Yet this moment was incredible.

That's Melissa's eyewall. The eye was a PERFECT circle. I've never seen anything like it. It was like being in a soup can and looking up. pic.twitter.com/hv61kiRogi

— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) October 29, 2025

The crew from the NOAA hurricane hunting mission shared how bumpy their flight into the hurricane was.

Major kudos to the brave men and women of the Hurricane Hunters. They risk their lives flying into these high end hurricanes, for meteorological research, analysis, forecasting, and ultimately saving lives.

I love the weather more than anything. But not sure I stomach this. You? pic.twitter.com/uXCr5PW6Ie

— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) October 30, 2025

Inside NOAA mission to #Melissa today. #AvGeek #ADSB #planespotting #27Oct pic.twitter.com/lj9wwr1DoO

— Falcon (@FlconEYES) October 28, 2025

From up above, satellites also captured the power of the hurricane.

Alrighty, ready to see something really cool?

The evolution of Hurricane Melissa's mesovortices at peak strength. pic.twitter.com/2T9ZNyzWtk

— Dakota Smith (@weatherdak) October 29, 2025

The Sentinel-2 satellite captured this image of Melissa's eye at peak intensity. 10m pixel resolution – one of the best satellite images ever captured of a hurricane of this intensity.

Image from 16z this morning. pic.twitter.com/yHL8oRrF40

— Peter Forister (@forecaster25) October 28, 2025

This has to be one of the most incredible and terrifying satellite loops that I've seen in a while. You can see 5 violent mesovorts spinning around the eye of #Melissa this morning. pic.twitter.com/X8uKMzJeqy

— Steve Copertino (@TheSteveCop) October 28, 2025

This satellite imagery of Melissa approaching Jamaica is jaw-dropping and sobering. https://t.co/M2VAAC0y3w pic.twitter.com/fuCaUQ7YNA

— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) October 29, 2025

Sources: October 29, 2025: News on Hurricane Melissa; How to help those impacted by Hurricane Melissa

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READ: Storm Chasers Venture Into Hurricane Melissa and Capture Its Eerie Eye Wall on Video