A European satellite that flew over Antarctica on Wednesday captured a massive storm churning in the ocean off its northern coast.
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Satellite captures stunning swirl at bottom of the globe
The satellite - known as EUMETSAT, which monitors weather and climate from space - was conducting an overflight when it caught the late summer storm with swirling clouds extending thousands of miles from its center. According to Simon Proud, a postdoctoral associate at MIT's atmospheric, oceanic and climate sciences program, the cloud tail stretches nearly 3,500 miles.

Of course, big storms and harsh weather are not unusual for Antarctica, one of the most treacherous and isolated places on Earth.

Earlier this year, a Russian research vessel that was trapped in the ice off East Antarctica for 10 days led to a international effort to rescue the 52 people onboard.