View from Space: Dutch Tulip Fields Come into Bloom

While the COVID-19 virus pandemic is forcing most people to stay at home, ESA has released some beautiful views from space of the Dutch tulip fields coming into bloom. Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 5 April, 10 April, 15 April and 20 April 2020, this sequence of images shows how the fields change from browns and greens to an array of vibrant colours. Lasting just a few weeks, the beauty of these colours normally attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. Sadly, this is not the case this year, as the COVID-19 crisis means that people cannot travel and even locals are actively discouraged from visiting the fields.

The image features the area around the small town of Lisse, home to the world-famous showcase for floriculture, the Keukenhof flower park. The area, which lies close to the coast in the Dutch province of South Holland, is famed for producing bulbs which are exported all over the globe. The fields are only in bloom for a few short weeks. When the tulips reach full bloom, the farmers quickly remove their colourful heads to divert the flowers' energy back to the bulbs to help keep them strong.

Watch all these beautiful views from space showing the Dutch tulip fields coming into bloom here. 

Hopefully this view of spring from space will bring you a little joy in difficult times.

Source: ESA.