Astronaut Photography

Great Lakes Without Winter Ice
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Great Lakes Without Winter Ice

From late February to early March in most years, the winter cold freezes much of the surface area of the lakes. But not so much in 2020.

Published Apr 24, 2020

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Rolling Through the Appalachians
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Rolling Through the Appalachians

The Susquehanna River cuts through the folds of the Valley-and-Ridge province of the mountain chain.

Published Apr 12, 2020

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Ni’ihau
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Ni’ihau

Despite sporadic rainfall, the island is the occasional home of two of the larger bodies of water in Hawaii.

Published Apr 5, 2020

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Sunlit Peaks in the Himalayas
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Sunlit Peaks in the Himalayas

Earth’s third-highest summit, Kangchenjunga, rises more than 8500 meters above sea level along the border of Nepal and India.

Published Mar 29, 2020

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Choose Your Champion: Tournament Earth 2020
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Choose Your Champion: Tournament Earth 2020

Vote for your favorite all-time Earth Observatory image. Help narrow the field from 32 nominees down to one champion in a five-round tournament.

Published Mar 26, 2020

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Waving at the Kerguelen Islands
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Waving at the Kerguelen Islands

They are geographically isolated but scientifically and visually compelling.

Published Mar 22, 2020

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Jebel Marra, Sudan
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Jebel Marra, Sudan

The almost circular massif in the Darfur region is a large cluster of volcanoes and lava flows, with a few traces of human activity.

Published Mar 15, 2020

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Shelter Cove
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Shelter Cove

The remote hamlet sits along California’s rugged “Lost Coast.”

Published Mar 8, 2020

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Rocas Atoll
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Rocas Atoll

The only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean is part of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago.

Published Feb 29, 2020

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Reservoirs, Bends, and Canyons on the Colorado Plateau
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Reservoirs, Bends, and Canyons on the Colorado Plateau

Ancient geologic features and modern creations share the spotlight in this photo of southeastern Utah and northern Arizona taken from the ISS.

Published Feb 23, 2020

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Nevado Sajama and Parinacota
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Nevado Sajama and Parinacota

This photograph highlights several snow- and ice-capped volcanoes as they cast early morning shadows over a mountainous region of Bolivia and Chile.

Published Feb 16, 2020

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Maiella Massif, Italy
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Maiella Massif, Italy

Complicated tectonics elevated the high plateau from rock layers that were originally deposited millions of years ago at the bottom of the sea.

Published Feb 9, 2020

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Coast of Peru
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Coast of Peru

Natural wonders of Peru stand out in this wide-angle photograph.

Published Feb 2, 2020

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Beysehir and Egirdir
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Beysehir and Egirdir

Two of the largest freshwater lakes in Turkey sit on the Anatolia Plateau.

Published Jan 26, 2020

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Watching Meteors from Space
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Watching Meteors from Space

Astronaut Christina Koch snapped a picture of the Quadrantids in January 2020.

Published Jan 20, 2020

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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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