Astronaut Photography

Fighting Back the Sea
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Fighting Back the Sea

Extensive engineering projects help fend off the North Sea at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta.

Published Jun 24, 2018

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Strait of Dover
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Strait of Dover

Ships, trains, cars, and swimmers crowd this crossing between Britain and France.

Published Jun 17, 2018

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History and Seaports in Charleston
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History and Seaports in Charleston

Surrounded by meandering rivers and a marshy landscape, this South Carolina city has been a focal point for American history and for shipping.

Published Jun 10, 2018

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End of the Journey for Iceberg B-15Z?
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End of the Journey for Iceberg B-15Z?

After an 18-year voyage, a fragment of the largest iceberg ever recorded has drifted into dangerously warm territory.

Published Jun 6, 2018

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Grand Erg Oriental, Algeria
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Grand Erg Oriental, Algeria

A vast field of star dunes in this desert stands astride wind-carved hills in one of the driest landscapes on Earth.

Published Jun 4, 2018

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A Transformed Landscape in Germany
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A Transformed Landscape in Germany

Old lignite mines are reborn as lakes in the Leipzig District.

Published May 27, 2018

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Mount Shasta, California
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Mount Shasta, California

The risk of hazards around this active volcano are well known, but it does not deter people from enjoying skiing and mountaineering on this rugged “fourteener” peak.

Published May 20, 2018

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The Variable Sea
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The Variable Sea

The eastern basin of the South Aral Sea is shallow and more prone to size fluctuations than its neighbors.

Published May 21, 2018

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Fishing in Green, Living in Yellow
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Fishing in Green, Living in Yellow

Thailand and Cambodia have distinctly different hues at night compared to nearby seas.

Published May 14, 2018

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A Central American Panorama
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A Central American Panorama

The narrow strip of land connects continents and divides oceans, while making clouds sprout daily.

Published May 6, 2018

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Richat Structure
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Richat Structure

This geologic feature has captured the attention of astronauts for about as long as NASA has sent humans into orbit around Earth.

Published Apr 29, 2018

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A Clear View of Scottish Highlands
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A Clear View of Scottish Highlands

Astronauts had a rare chance to view a rocky landscape that is often shrouded in clouds.

Published Apr 23, 2018

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Seasons of Snow Cover in the West
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Seasons of Snow Cover in the West

A blanket of white comes and goes from the mountains and deserts of the American West.

Published Apr 16, 2018

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Medina, Saudi Arabia
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Medina, Saudi Arabia

The second holiest city of Islam is centered around the Prophet’s Mosque (Al-Masjid an–Nabawi).

Published Apr 9, 2018

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The Pearl-Qatar
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The Pearl-Qatar

These artificial islands in Doha were built to resemble a string of pearls.

Published Apr 3, 2018

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Lake Balkhash Under the Moon
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Lake Balkhash Under the Moon

The central Asian lake is fed by snowmelt but tugged by the Moon.

Published Mar 25, 2018

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Lake Darodzan in Sunglint
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Lake Darodzan in Sunglint

Sunlight teases out the patterns on this lake and landscape in Iran.

Published Mar 19, 2018

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A Plateau of Chasms
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A Plateau of Chasms

Tassili n’Ajjer was once shaped by water, but the plateau gives shape to the sands below.

Published Mar 12, 2018

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Lake Garda
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Lake Garda

Italy’s largest lake is situated where the southern Alps meet the Po River Valley.

Published Mar 5, 2018

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One World, One Orbit
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One World, One Orbit

Astronauts captured simultaneous moments in time with citizens on the ground.

Published Mar 3, 2018

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Bonneville Salt Flats
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Bonneville Salt Flats

From the vantage point of the ISS, landscape patterns reveal the intermingling of older geologic formations and more recent landforms in this region.

Published Feb 25, 2018

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Smoky Andean Valleys
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Smoky Andean Valleys

Astronauts got an oblique look at the high plains and mountains of Bolivia.

Published Feb 19, 2018

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Eastern Sayan Mountains
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Eastern Sayan Mountains

This largely uninhabited region has served for centuries as a crossroads for journeyers and traders between Mongolia and Russia.

Published Feb 11, 2018

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Emi Koussi and Wind Grooves
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Emi Koussi and Wind Grooves

Lava and strong winds give texture and shape to the dry interior of Chad.

Published Feb 5, 2018

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Agriculture Marks the Landscape in Central Ukraine
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Agriculture Marks the Landscape in Central Ukraine

More than 70 percent of the country’s land area is farmed or grazed.

Published Jan 29, 2018

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Rhône River Delta
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Rhône River Delta

Unlike the mouths of most large rivers in Europe, this region is dominated by grassy and marshy wilderness, not by a major city.

Published Jan 22, 2018

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Castellanus Cloud Tower
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Castellanus Cloud Tower

A massive cloud rises above Andros Island in the Bahamas.

Published Jan 15, 2018

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Bellinzona, Switzerland
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Bellinzona, Switzerland

Valley communes have been growing and consolidating in the Alpine foothills.

Published Jan 1, 2018

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Coastal Spit, Lake Erie
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Coastal Spit, Lake Erie

Presque Isle State Park includes dozens of individual beach ridges, with each line representing a coastline from the past.

Published Dec 23, 2017

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Lake Khuvsgul
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Lake Khuvsgul

The largest freshwater lake in Mongolia is known as the “sister” to Lake Baikal. Together they hold 20 percent of the fresh water on the planet.

Published Dec 18, 2017

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