![](\"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Lake_Balaton_Hungary_small.jpg\")
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\nThe Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Lake Balaton in western Hungary. With a surface area of around 600 sq km and a length of around 78 km, this freshwater lake is the largest in central Europe.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe lake is mainly fed by the Zala River at its western end. The lakewater flows out near the eastern end via an artificial channel called the Si\u00f3, which eventually feeds into the Danube River.\n<\/p>\n
\nOriginally five separate water bodies, the barriers between have been eroded away to create the lake it is today. Remnants of the dividing ridges can be seen in Balaton\u2019s shape \u2013 with the Tihany Peninsula on the northern shore narrowing the width of the lake to approximately 1.5 km.\n<\/p>\n
\nLake Balaton\u2019s striking emerald-green colour in this image is most likely due to its shallow waters and chemical composition. It is heavy in carbonates and sulphates, and there are also around 2000 species of algae that grow in its waters.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe lake supports a large population of plant and animal species. During migration and wintering sessions, the site is an important staging area for thousands of ducks and geese.\n<\/p>\n
\nOwing to its pleasant climate and fresh water, the Lake Balaton area is a popular tourist destination. The mountainous northern region is known for its wine, while popular tourist towns lie on the flatter southern shore.\n<\/p>\n
\nSentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe\u2019s Copernicus programme. The mission\u2019s frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution allow changes in inland water bodies to be closely monitored.\n<\/p>\n
\nThis image, captured on 27 February 2019, is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n