Astronaut Photography

Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors
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Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors

Mountains, vegetation, and urban centers contribute to the islands’ colorful palette.

Published Jan 15, 2023

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Ridges and Valleys of the Zagros Mountains
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Ridges and Valleys of the Zagros Mountains

This astronaut photograph illustrates the undulating geology of a segment of the mountain range in southern Iran.

Published Jan 8, 2023

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Kashmir Valley Haze
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Kashmir Valley Haze

A mixture of smog, smoke, and dust hung over the ancient lake basin surrounded by the Himalayas.

Published Dec 31, 2022

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China’s Celestial Mountains
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China’s Celestial Mountains

Glaciers on these heavenly mountains are a source of freshwater for farmers in Central Asia.

Published Dec 29, 2022

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Great Lakes Dressed for Winter
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Great Lakes Dressed for Winter

Land and water were decorated with snow and ice when astronauts looked down on the region in February 2022.

Published Dec 30, 2022

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South America’s West Coast Wonders
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South America’s West Coast Wonders

From volcanoes to salt flats, the mountainous region of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia is home to a range of compelling landscapes.

Published Dec 26, 2022

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Quartet of Snowy Cascade Volcanoes
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Quartet of Snowy Cascade Volcanoes

Four of the range’s prominent volcanoes—Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, and Hood—were on full display in February 2022.

Published Dec 25, 2022

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Cold and Hot Yellowstone Lake
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Cold and Hot Yellowstone Lake

Beneath a layer of snow and ice, exceptionally hot fluids rise from the floor of Yellowstone Lake.  

Published Dec 27, 2022

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Montreal Islands
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Montreal Islands

Canada’s second-most populous city occupies the largest of hundreds of islands within the Hochelaga Archipelago.

Published Dec 24, 2022

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Icy Lake Paiku
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Icy Lake Paiku

This deep lake on the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau freezes over during winter, curbing the large changes in lake level observed during other seasons.

Published Dec 23, 2022

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Snow Day in Delmarva
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Snow Day in Delmarva

The Mid-Atlantic coast occasionally sees snow, but rain has become increasingly common over time.

Published Dec 21, 2022

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Strait of Messina
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Strait of Messina

Sunglint, waves, and ship wakes are visible on the waters between Italy’s Calabria region and Sicily.

Published Dec 18, 2022

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The Frozen Landscape of Isle Royale
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The Frozen Landscape of Isle Royale

The park is one of the most isolated natural areas in the continental United States and the site of long-running ecological studies.

Published Dec 11, 2022

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Wetlands of Adair Bay
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Wetlands of Adair Bay

The estuary system marks the transition between the Great Altar Desert in northwestern Mexico and the Gulf of California.

Published Nov 27, 2022

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The Colorado River Cuts a Canyon
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The Colorado River Cuts a Canyon

Over millions of years, the mighty river carved through old sedimentary rocks even as the landmass was rising.

Published Nov 20, 2022

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Agriculture in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert
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Agriculture in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert

The fertile flood plains around the San Miguel River are conducive to maize and other agricultural production.

Published Nov 6, 2022

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Salt Lake Colors, Kazakhstan
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Salt Lake Colors, Kazakhstan

Bacteria and salt lend distinct tones to the shallow lakelets on the steppe.

Published Oct 30, 2022

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Jamaica
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Jamaica

Tectonic uplift, moist trade winds, and limestone lead to a diversity of landscapes on the Caribbean’s third-largest island.

Published Oct 23, 2022

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The Miura Peninsula
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The Miura Peninsula

By boat and road, people and products are on the move in this part of Japan.

Published Oct 16, 2022

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Light Show Near the Limb
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Light Show Near the Limb

Lightning, fishing boats, and city lights frame an active night in Southeast Asia.

Published Oct 9, 2022

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Johannesburg and Pretoria
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Johannesburg and Pretoria

This region of South Africa is the largest mining and industrial region on the continent of Africa.

Published Oct 2, 2022

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Hurricane Ian Reaches Florida
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Hurricane Ian Reaches Florida

After damaging parts of Cuba and leaving the country dark, more destruction was expected as the powerful hurricane reached Florida’s western coast.

Published Sep 28, 2022

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Carrizozo Malpaís Lava Flow
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Carrizozo Malpaís Lava Flow

A decades-long eruption created this long strip of basalt in the desert in New Mexico.

Published Sep 26, 2022

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New Zealand’s Mount Ruapehu
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New Zealand’s Mount Ruapehu

A lake at the summit of the volcano provides the main clues to what is happening below.

Published Sep 18, 2022

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Sunglint Around Milos and Antimilos
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Sunglint Around Milos and Antimilos

The play of sunlight on the water surface illuminates water phenomena around some Greek islands.

Published Sep 12, 2022

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An Atmosphere of Exploration
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An Atmosphere of Exploration

As scientists and engineers at NASA have their eyes set on the Moon again, so too do the astronauts.

Published Sep 3, 2022

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Hambach Coal Mine
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Hambach Coal Mine

The operation in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, produces 40 million tons of lignite annually.

Published Sep 6, 2022

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Typhoon Hinnamnor
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Typhoon Hinnamnor

On August 30, the storm became the first category 5 cyclone on Earth in 2022.

Published Sep 1, 2022

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Oyyl Dune Field, Kazakhstan
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Oyyl Dune Field, Kazakhstan

Fluvial floodplains are a common source of sand, so dune fields often form immediately downwind of them.

Published Aug 28, 2022

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Earth’s Limb with a Crescent Moon
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Earth’s Limb with a Crescent Moon

Astronauts viewed the layers of the atmosphere while orbiting over the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Published Aug 21, 2022

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