Astronaut Photography

Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean
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Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean

This volcanic island is home to perhaps the most remote permanent settlement on Earth.

Published Feb 18, 2013

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Reno, Nevada, at Night
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Reno, Nevada, at Night

“The biggest little city in the world” is nestled like a jewel amidst the mountains.

Published Feb 11, 2013

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Internal Waves off Northern Trinidad
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Internal Waves off Northern Trinidad

Underwater ridges and broad ocean currents help make waves beneath the waves.

Published Feb 4, 2013

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Our Reach Should Exceed Our Grasp
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Our Reach Should Exceed Our Grasp

Astronauts on the last voyage of the space shuttle Columbia captured this view of clouds over the Atlantic Ocean.

Published Feb 2, 2013

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Sakurajima Volcano, Kyushu, Japan
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Sakurajima Volcano, Kyushu, Japan

Once separated from the mainland, this volcano has the attention of scientists and emergency planners because of its proximity to several cities.

Published Jan 28, 2013

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Polar Mesospheric Clouds, South Pacific Ocean
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Polar Mesospheric Clouds, South Pacific Ocean

Noctilucent or “night shining” clouds form near the boundary of the mesosphere and thermosphere.

Published Jan 21, 2013

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Liège at Night
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Liège at Night

This city in Belgium is a hub of economic activity and tourism.

Published Jan 14, 2013

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Appalachian Mountains
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Appalachian Mountains

Among the oldest mountains in the world, the Appalachian chain is now relatively low but visually striking.

Published Jan 7, 2013

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Dallas Metropolitan Area at Night
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Dallas Metropolitan Area at Night

Like most cities in the western United States, the Dallas-Fort Worth area was laid out in a grid pattern.

Published Dec 31, 2012

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Aso Caldera, Kyushu, Japan
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Aso Caldera, Kyushu, Japan

Formed during four explosive eruptions that took place between 300,000 and 90,000 years ago, the volcanic caldera is now home to human settlements and 17 younger volcanoes.

Published Dec 24, 2012

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Agricultural Fields Under Snow, China
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Agricultural Fields Under Snow, China

This astronaut photograph highlights hundreds of rectangular fields along the Songhua River in eastern China.

Published Dec 17, 2012

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Plume rises from Ulawun
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Plume rises from Ulawun

This astronaut photograph was taken during the most recent activity at this volcano in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea.

Published Dec 10, 2012

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Riyadh at Night
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Riyadh at Night

The capital city of Saudi Arabia has grown dramatically in the last half century.

Published Dec 3, 2012

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Central Kamchatka Volcanoes, Russian Federation
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Central Kamchatka Volcanoes, Russian Federation

The combination of a low viewing angle, shadows, and height and distance from the volcanoes contributes to the appearance of topographic relief.

Published Nov 19, 2012

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Qatar at Night
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Qatar at Night

In this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station, the lights of Qatar show informative demographic detail that is very difficult to discern in daylight images.

Published Nov 12, 2012

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Baltimore at Night
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Baltimore at Night

One of the largest seaports on the East Coast, “Charm City” was briefly the capital of the United States.

Published Nov 5, 2012

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Isla Santiago, Galapagos Islands
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Isla Santiago, Galapagos Islands

This island off of Ecuador was formed by a shield volcano.

Published Oct 28, 2012

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Following the Trail
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Following the Trail

Exhaust trails mark the flight of a Soyuz rocket that delivered crew members to the International Space Station.

Published Oct 26, 2012

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Mount Shasta, California
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Mount Shasta, California

One of the largest mountains in the Cascade Range is also one of the most active volcanoes in the region over recent centuries.

Published Oct 22, 2012

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Wake Island, Pacific Ocean
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Wake Island, Pacific Ocean

This atoll of islands and reefs formed around a submerged volcano.

Published Oct 15, 2012

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Salar de Coipasa, Bolivia
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Salar de Coipasa, Bolivia

The colorful salt flat is a product of mineral-rich waters and a dry, flat landscape.

Published Oct 8, 2012

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Idaho Fires, September 2012
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Idaho Fires, September 2012

Smoke and natural wonders fill this scene shot from the International Space Station.

Published Sep 30, 2012

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Kuwait City at Night
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Kuwait City at Night

The patterns and colors of lighting reveal the urban geography of the capital city.

Published Sep 17, 2012

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Istanbul at Night
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Istanbul at Night

The cultural, economic, and historic heart of Turkey glows in the night.

Published Sep 10, 2012

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Sutter Buttes, California
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Sutter Buttes, California

Old volcanic domes form the backbone of the “smallest mountain range in the world.”

Published Sep 3, 2012

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Strandplain, Coastal Peru
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Strandplain, Coastal Peru

Close-packed beach ridges show the position of prior shorelines.

Published Aug 27, 2012

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Walker Lake, Nevada
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Walker Lake, Nevada

In western Nevada, one of only two remnants of ancient, glacial Lake Lahontan is sandwiched between mountain ridges.

Published Aug 20, 2012

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Saharan Dust Reaches the Americas
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Saharan Dust Reaches the Americas

Astronauts can see African dust palls arriving in the Caribbean.

Published Aug 13, 2012

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Krymsk, Krasnodar region, Southern Russia
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Krymsk, Krasnodar region, Southern Russia

Astronauts captured this photograph shortly after deadly flash floods swept the city.

Published Jul 30, 2012

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Great Lakes in Sunglint
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Great Lakes in Sunglint

Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, the Finger Lakes of New York, and numerous other bodies of water are brilliantly lit by sunglint in this astronaut photograph.

Published Jul 22, 2012

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