After forming as a tropical storm over the Southern Indian Ocean on November 14, 2009, Anja strengthened to a cyclone one day later. By November 16, 2009, Anja was a Category 3 cyclone, with maximum sustained winds of 105 knots (195 kilometers per hour), and gusts up to 130 knots (240 kilometers per hour). Anja was located near 14.7 degrees South and 68.3 degrees East.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on November 16, 2009. Far away from any major landmasses, Anja sprawls over the Southern Indian Ocean, its long arms spiraling outward, and its eye easily detectable.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott, NASA Earth Observatory.
