Gas flares in Qatar imaged by Sentinel-2A

After more than 10 years in orbit, the first Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, Sentinel-2A, is still finding new ways to contribute to Earth observation. With its younger siblings, Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-2C, now leading the mission’s core task of delivering high-resolution, camera-like images of Earth’s surface, the European Space Agency is pushing Sentinel-2A well beyond its original remit. In recent trials, this elderly satellite was even switched on at night to see how it would perform in darkness – and the results have been strikingly positive, offering encouraging news for the follow-on Copernicus Sentinel-2 Next Generation mission, currently in development.

This image shows gas flares from oil production in Qatar, imaged at night on 12 December 2025. The Sentinel-2A signal is overlaid on a greyscale basemap.

Read full story: Sentinel-2 explorers night vision