Astronaut Photography

Bermejo River
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Bermejo River

Astronauts captured a striking glimpse of the Andes Mountains, which divide lush forest from the Atacama Desert.

Published Jan 19, 2020

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The Colorado Rockies
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The Colorado Rockies

An astronaut captured this view of the Front Range, the San Juan Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Published Jan 12, 2020

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ICONic Views of the Atmosphere
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ICONic Views of the Atmosphere

At the boundary between Earth and space, particles and gases and energy do an intricate and colorful dance that varies daily.

Published Jan 7, 2020

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Desert Contrasts in Chad
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Desert Contrasts in Chad

Geologically young, dark lava flows stand out from older, lighter rocks and the sands of the central Sahara.

Published Jan 5, 2020

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Frozen Moonrise
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Frozen Moonrise

The winter scene includes icy shorelines and frozen landscapes around Hudson Bay under thin, wrinkled clouds.

Published Dec 30, 2019

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Rivers in Glint, Southern Brazil
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Rivers in Glint, Southern Brazil

Sunlight highlights details around Rio Paraná, Rio Tiete, and Rio Paranapanema.

Published Dec 22, 2019

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Long, Tall Shadows
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Long, Tall Shadows

Anvil clouds and towering thunderheads stood tall over northeastern Brazil.

Published Dec 15, 2019

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Lake Oahe, South Dakota
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Lake Oahe, South Dakota

The fourth largest man-made reservoir in North America extends from Pierre, South Dakota, to Bismarck, North Dakota.

Published Dec 8, 2019

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Agriculture Patterns in the Great Plains
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Agriculture Patterns in the Great Plains

The grid-like pattern that spreads across the encompassing flatlands is typical of the Great Plains region and of Nebraska in particular.

Published Nov 29, 2019

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Comb Ridge, Utah
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Comb Ridge, Utah

A mountain-building event lifted up this area between 40 and 70 million years ago.

Published Nov 24, 2019

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One Island, Two Perspectives
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One Island, Two Perspectives

Different lens sizes and camera angles provide wildly different views of Madagascar.

Published Nov 17, 2019

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Taranto City, Southern Italy
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Taranto City, Southern Italy

Italy’s major southern port and naval base has a history dating back to Roman times.

Published Nov 10, 2019

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Bolivia’s Sandy Rivers
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Bolivia’s Sandy Rivers

The winter season is often hot and dry, leading rivers to dry up and become vulnerable to aeolian processes.

Published Nov 3, 2019

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Beauty Carved by Nature’s Violence
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Beauty Carved by Nature’s Violence

Ash, pumice, and steam shaped the landscape around Katmai and Novarupta.

Published Oct 27, 2019

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Night Lights Can Disrupt Wildlife
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Night Lights Can Disrupt Wildlife

A new study shows that nocturnal animals are less active when the nights are too bright with electric lighting.

Published Oct 24, 2019

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A Trail of Night Lights
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A Trail of Night Lights

This composite image was made from more than 400 photos taken as the International Space Station traveled from Namibia toward the Red Sea.

Published Oct 20, 2019

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High Points of the Sierras
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High Points of the Sierras

Trails up Mount Whitney and across Forester Pass give hikers access high into the California mountain range.

Published Oct 15, 2019

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Rapeseed Agriculture, Kursk Oblast
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Rapeseed Agriculture, Kursk Oblast

Yellow flowers brighten the landscape of southwestern Russia.

Published Oct 13, 2019

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Smoke Filled Canyons, Arizona
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Smoke Filled Canyons, Arizona

During morning and evening hours, dense smoke often settles in low-lying areas and becomes trapped due to temperature inversions.

Published Oct 4, 2019

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Simpson Desert, Australia
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Simpson Desert, Australia

Fantastic dunes stand alongside one of the world’s largest internally draining river systems.

Published Sep 29, 2019

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Clear Skies Over Alaska
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Clear Skies Over Alaska

Views of mainland Alaska from the ISS are uncommon due to frequent cloud cover and the limits of the ISS orbit trajectory.

Published Sep 22, 2019

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South Pacific Swirl
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South Pacific Swirl

Low Sun angles enhance certain wavelengths of light, painting the atmosphere over a distant patch of ocean.

Published Sep 12, 2019

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Punta Banda, Baja California
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Punta Banda, Baja California

Fishing is an integral part of the economy for this region, which also attracts whales and tourists.

Published Sep 8, 2019

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Mount Rainier
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Mount Rainier

The tallest mountain of the Cascade Range is a Pacific Northwest icon.

Published Sep 4, 2019

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The Smoke that Thunders
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The Smoke that Thunders

Although not the highest or longest falls in the world, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water.

Published Sep 1, 2019

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Sunglint on Turkmenbashi Gulf
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Sunglint on Turkmenbashi Gulf

The complex patterns are due to waves, winds, the presence of oils or surfactants, and the presence of boats and drilling platforms.

Published Aug 25, 2019

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The Cape of Good Hope
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The Cape of Good Hope

Originally named the Cape of Storms, it was later renamed to Good Hope in order to attract more people to the Cape Sea Route.

Published Aug 18, 2019

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A Misty Morning in the Mountains
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A Misty Morning in the Mountains

A glorious winter morning view greeted astronauts as they passed over the rugged peaks of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca.

Published Aug 11, 2019

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The St. Louis Hub
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The St. Louis Hub

Roads, railways, and a mighty river meet in this longtime trading hub of the central United States.

Published Aug 4, 2019

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Cloudy Sulawesi
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Cloudy Sulawesi

The International Space Station was crossing over the equator when an astronaut looked east and took this photo just after a sunrise.

Published Jul 28, 2019

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