NASA’s Aqua satellite  captured this image of the Gulf Coast oil slick resulting from the explosion & sinking of the Deepwater Horizon platform.  It was captured with the “MODIS” (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument, and shows the oil as it follows the gulf currents across the region.

The oil slick may be particularly obvious because it is occurring in the sunglint area, where the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the water gives the Gulf of Mexico a washed-out look. Oil slicks are notoriously difficult to spot in natural-color (photo-like) satellite imagery because a thin sheen of oil only slightly darkens the already dark blue background of the ocean. Under unique viewing conditions, oil slicks can become visible in photo-like images, but usually, radar imagery is needed to clearly see a spill from space.

On NASA’s site, you can view the entire 3840×2880 image, although the detail area isn’t much better than the image above.

via NASA – Oil Slick Spreads off Gulf Coast.