Astronaut Photography

Siachen Glacier
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Siachen Glacier

An astronaut’s photograph reveals the myriad features of a remote glacier high in the Karakoram mountains of central Asia.

Published Mar 17, 2024

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Eight Countries, One Photo
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Eight Countries, One Photo

This wide-angle photo offers the feeling of looking out over the Persian Gulf from an altitude of about 250 miles.

Published Mar 10, 2024

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Sierra Vista
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Sierra Vista

This city in southern Arizona is surrounded by mountains, national forest, and conservation areas.

Published Mar 3, 2024

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Mount Nemrut’s Compelling Caldera
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Mount Nemrut’s Compelling Caldera

Lakes and lava flows fill the depression atop this geologically young stratovolcano in eastern Türkiye.

Published Feb 25, 2024

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Reflecting on Hispaniola
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Reflecting on Hispaniola

Bright white water surfaces and cloud tops contrast with the darker landscape of this Caribbean island.

Published Feb 11, 2024

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Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon
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Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon

This coastal stretch of South Africa’s Western Cape province supports industry, fishing, farming, tourism, and a nature reserve.

Published Feb 4, 2024

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Mount Shasta in Winter
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Mount Shasta in Winter

The iconic volcano of Northern California is home to seven glaciers that become buried in a blanket of snow during winter.

Published Jan 28, 2024

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Folded Rocks of Northwest Iran
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Folded Rocks of Northwest Iran

Tectonic forces over millions of years have folded the region’s layers of colorful rock. Erosion has since exposed them.

Published Jan 21, 2024

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Kochi’s Engineered Environment
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Kochi’s Engineered Environment

Infrastructure, aquaculture, and an artificial island are found along this coastal stretch of southwest India.

Published Jan 7, 2024

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Sunrise from the Station
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Sunrise from the Station

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are uniquely positioned to capture striking photos of the Sun and Earth.

Published Jan 1, 2024

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Ridges and Valleys of the Upper Mississippi
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Ridges and Valleys of the Upper Mississippi

The terrain near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers is topographically varied compared to the relatively flat Midwest.

Published Dec 31, 2023

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Rebuilding on a Lava Flow in La Palma  
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Rebuilding on a Lava Flow in La Palma  

Two years after the eruption of Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands, some roads have been reconstructed.  

Published Dec 17, 2023

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Athens at Night
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Athens at Night

Stark contrasts between light and dark indicate the interface between urban and natural areas in the Greek capital.

Published Dec 10, 2023

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Coastal Somalia
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Coastal Somalia

Water-carved canyons and wind-sculpted dunes adorn the desert landscape.

Published Dec 3, 2023

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Manifa Field Causeway
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Manifa Field Causeway

The causeway and its blocky “islands” off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia make oil drilling possible in the region’s shallow waters.

Published Nov 26, 2023

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Bright Beaches in Florida
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Bright Beaches in Florida

The white sands of Florida’s Emerald Coast beaches are primarily comprised of quartz grains from the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Published Nov 19, 2023

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The Red Sea Hills of Sudan
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The Red Sea Hills of Sudan

Ancient geologic processes created a Saharan landscape full of contrasts.

Published Nov 12, 2023

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Volcanic Duo in the Andes Mountains
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Volcanic Duo in the Andes Mountains

The Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes rise like twins along the Chile-Bolivia border, but close inspection reveals distinct differences in their appearance.

Published Nov 5, 2023

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Life Blood of Earth
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Life Blood of Earth

Despite their rusty color, these arteries of water in Bolivia and Madagascar are important for biodiversity.

Published Oct 29, 2023

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A Long View of Mount Etna
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A Long View of Mount Etna

Oblique photographs can provide a unique perspective on the planet’s topographic highs, including Europe’s most active volcano.

Published Oct 20, 2023

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Idaho’s Fields and Flows
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Idaho’s Fields and Flows

A patchwork of farmland along the Snake River abuts a flow of hardened lava.

Published Oct 15, 2023

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Beneath a Desert Moon
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Beneath a Desert Moon

An oblique-angle photo taken from above the Middle East captures the Moon peeking over Earth’s atmospheric limb.

Published Oct 8, 2023

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Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi

Intertidal flats, mangroves, and artificial islands surround the populous capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

Published Oct 3, 2023

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Shebelle River Floodplain
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Shebelle River Floodplain

Southeastern Ethiopia’s longest river supports the growth of green vegetation amid the otherwise brown, desert landscape.

Published Sep 24, 2023

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Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains
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Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains

The icy landscape high in the Andes is dotted with colorful glacial lakes and weathered rock.

Published Sep 17, 2023

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Bolivian Salt Flats
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Bolivian Salt Flats

An otherworldly landscape on a plateau in the Andes provides a natural laboratory for scientists studying Earth and Mars.

Published Sep 10, 2023

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Wyoming and Utah Borderlands
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Wyoming and Utah Borderlands

The Flaming Gorge Reservoir lies within a national recreation area that straddles the two states.

Published Sep 3, 2023

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Hurricane Idalia Moves Inland
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Hurricane Idalia Moves Inland

Cameras on the International Space Station captured oblique photos of the potent storm over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.

Published Aug 31, 2023

Atmosphere Severe Storms

Illuminating the Aleutians
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Illuminating the Aleutians

The aurora borealis and moonglint shine bright in this astronaut photo of the Alaskan island chain.

Published Aug 28, 2023

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Black Mesas and Sand Dunes in Mauritania
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Black Mesas and Sand Dunes in Mauritania

Dunes formed on the slopes of dark mesas in this photo taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station.

Published Aug 13, 2023

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