Astronaut Photography

Lava and Snow in Hawai’i
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Lava and Snow in Hawai’i

A winter storm in December 2022 dropped snow over Mauna Kea and the recently erupted Mauna Loa.

Published Mar 26, 2023

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Evaporation from Laguna Ojo de Liebre
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Evaporation from Laguna Ojo de Liebre

An astronaut spotted colorful evaporation ponds in Mexico while in orbit over the Baja Peninsula.

Published Mar 19, 2023

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Muddy Water and a Wide Floodplain
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Muddy Water and a Wide Floodplain

The mighty Amazon River carries a huge amount of sediment and occasionally delivers muddy water to nearby lakes.

Published Mar 13, 2023

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New York and New Jersey
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New York and New Jersey

Shadows from skyscrapers and other city buildings give the photograph a 3D look.

Published Mar 5, 2023

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Northern Kalahari Desert Panorama
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Northern Kalahari Desert Panorama

Smoke and cumulus clouds dotted the sky when an astronaut photographed a remote part of Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Angola.

Published Feb 26, 2023

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South Padre Island
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South Padre Island

The barrier islands along the coast of Texas help sustain lagoon ecosystems and protect the mainland from damaging storms.

Published Feb 12, 2023

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Siling Lake
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Siling Lake

One of the largest water bodies on the Tibetan Plateau has been growing even larger in recent decades.

Published Feb 5, 2023

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Eighty Mile Beach
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Eighty Mile Beach

This stretch of coastline in Western Australia is a popular recreational site for people and an important stopover site for migratory birds.

Published Jan 29, 2023

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Chile’s Villarrica Sputters
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Chile’s Villarrica Sputters

An astronaut on the International Space Station captured this photograph of minor explosions from one of Chile’s most active volcanoes.

Published Jan 30, 2023

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Rio Grande, Meet the Gulf of Mexico
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Rio Grande, Meet the Gulf of Mexico

Colorful waterways and wetlands are visible along the river that defines a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Published Jan 22, 2023

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Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors
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Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors

Mountains, vegetation, and urban centers contribute to the islands’ colorful palette.

Published Jan 15, 2023

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Ridges and Valleys of the Zagros Mountains
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Ridges and Valleys of the Zagros Mountains

This astronaut photograph illustrates the undulating geology of a segment of the mountain range in southern Iran.

Published Jan 8, 2023

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Kashmir Valley Haze
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Kashmir Valley Haze

A mixture of smog, smoke, and dust hung over the ancient lake basin surrounded by the Himalayas.

Published Dec 31, 2022

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China’s Celestial Mountains
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China’s Celestial Mountains

Glaciers on these heavenly mountains are a source of freshwater for farmers in Central Asia.

Published Dec 29, 2022

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Great Lakes Dressed for Winter
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Great Lakes Dressed for Winter

Land and water were decorated with snow and ice when astronauts looked down on the region in February 2022.

Published Dec 30, 2022

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South America’s West Coast Wonders
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South America’s West Coast Wonders

From volcanoes to salt flats, the mountainous region of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia is home to a range of compelling landscapes.

Published Dec 26, 2022

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Quartet of Snowy Cascade Volcanoes
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Quartet of Snowy Cascade Volcanoes

Four of the range’s prominent volcanoes—Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, and Hood—were on full display in February 2022.

Published Dec 25, 2022

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Cold and Hot Yellowstone Lake
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Cold and Hot Yellowstone Lake

Beneath a layer of snow and ice, exceptionally hot fluids rise from the floor of Yellowstone Lake.  

Published Dec 27, 2022

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Montreal Islands
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Montreal Islands

Canada’s second-most populous city occupies the largest of hundreds of islands within the Hochelaga Archipelago.

Published Dec 24, 2022

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Icy Lake Paiku
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Icy Lake Paiku

This deep lake on the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau freezes over during winter, curbing the large changes in lake level observed during other seasons.

Published Dec 23, 2022

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Snow Day in Delmarva
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Snow Day in Delmarva

The Mid-Atlantic coast occasionally sees snow, but rain has become increasingly common over time.

Published Dec 21, 2022

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Strait of Messina
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Strait of Messina

Sunglint, waves, and ship wakes are visible on the waters between Italy’s Calabria region and Sicily.

Published Dec 18, 2022

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The Frozen Landscape of Isle Royale
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The Frozen Landscape of Isle Royale

The park is one of the most isolated natural areas in the continental United States and the site of long-running ecological studies.

Published Dec 11, 2022

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Wetlands of Adair Bay
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Wetlands of Adair Bay

The estuary system marks the transition between the Great Altar Desert in northwestern Mexico and the Gulf of California.

Published Nov 27, 2022

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The Colorado River Cuts a Canyon
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The Colorado River Cuts a Canyon

Over millions of years, the mighty river carved through old sedimentary rocks even as the landmass was rising.

Published Nov 20, 2022

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Agriculture in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert
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Agriculture in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert

The fertile flood plains around the San Miguel River are conducive to maize and other agricultural production.

Published Nov 6, 2022

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Salt Lake Colors, Kazakhstan
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Salt Lake Colors, Kazakhstan

Bacteria and salt lend distinct tones to the shallow lakelets on the steppe.

Published Oct 30, 2022

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Jamaica
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Jamaica

Tectonic uplift, moist trade winds, and limestone lead to a diversity of landscapes on the Caribbean’s third-largest island.

Published Oct 23, 2022

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The Miura Peninsula
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The Miura Peninsula

By boat and road, people and products are on the move in this part of Japan.

Published Oct 16, 2022

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Light Show Near the Limb
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Light Show Near the Limb

Lightning, fishing boats, and city lights frame an active night in Southeast Asia.

Published Oct 9, 2022

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