California’s poppy bloom visible from space

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve explodes with colour every spring. The blooming bright orange poppy blossoms bring in hoards of visitors each year.

This year, the sea of blooms is so vast and bright that NASA was able to photograph it from space. The brilliant spectacle shows a stark contrast in the orange petals and the deep greens of the earth in which the flowers grow.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is situated 39 minutes away from Antelope Valley and shared satellite images of the poppy explosion with the world.

In a statement, NASA said: ‘The flowers bloomed after Southern California received significant rainfall in March and April 2020. This spring, Lancaster received around 10.5 inches (27 centimeters) of rain—almost 4 inches (10 centimeters) above normal. The extra rain may cause the poppies to stick around longer than usual and result in an above-average wildflower year. Park officials called this bloom an “unexpected” surprise due to the late season rains.’

Take a look at the images below:

Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Take a look at the beautiful poppy flowers up close:

 

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Now Discovering Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in California, USA, with @activitymonster. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a state-protected reserve of California, USA, harboring the most consistent blooms of California poppies, the state flower. The intense blooming season for the California poppy falls usually within late winter to early spring, during the months of mid-February through mid-May. #thediscoverer #nowdiscovering

A post shared by The Discoverer (@nowdiscovering) on Jul 12, 2019 at 5:09am PDT

 

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Each spring the grasslands of the Mojave Desert burst into color. 🌸 Wildflowers pop up in patches of purple and yellow and red throughout the area, but the most stunning are the fields of bright orange poppies. 🧡⁠ . ⁠ From mid-February through May, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve offers an up-close view of these California natives. Stroll along the eight miles of trails—with portions paved for wheelchair accessibility—in the morning when the poppies open their petals to take in the warm sun. ☀️ But don’t pick them!⁠ . ⁠ When spring arrives, the West comes alive in wildflower displays. Find the best spots to discover bright blooms at the link in our bio 👆. 📷: @gregvaughn⁠ . ⁠ . ⁠ . ⁠ #spring #springhassprung #wildflowers #blooms #desertblooms #poppies #poppyfield #mojave #mojavedesert #flowers #nature #californiaplants #antelopevalley #antelopevalleycaliforniapoppyreserve #statepreserve #california #californialove #ViaAdventure #ViaMagazine

A post shared by Via magazine (@aaa_via) on Feb 25, 2020 at 6:01am PST

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