Astronaut Photography

Long Island Sound Region at Night
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Long Island Sound Region at Night

City lights trace one of the most densely populated portions of the United States.

Published Sep 30, 2013

Image of the Day Human Presence

Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Samarkand, Uzbekistan

A key city on the old Silk Road stands midway between Western Europe and China.

Published Sep 23, 2013

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Caldera Lakes to the North of Rome
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Caldera Lakes to the North of Rome

Ancient volcanoes collapsed back into the crust of Italy, allowing lakes to form.

Published Sep 16, 2013

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Cloud Swirls and Ripples, Guadalupe Island
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Cloud Swirls and Ripples, Guadalupe Island

Clouds trace out atmospheric eddies and vortices near Baja, California.

Published Sep 9, 2013

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Whiting Event, Lake Ontario
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Whiting Event, Lake Ontario

Calcium carbonate particles discolored nearly the entirely surface of one of the Great Lakes in August 2013.

Published Sep 2, 2013

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Flooding in Eastern Russia
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Flooding in Eastern Russia

Runoff chokes the swollen Amur River in this astronaut photograph taken on August 21, 2013.

Published Aug 28, 2013

Water Floods

Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
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Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia

The estuary is a haven for marine life and for tourists who come to observe that life.

Published Aug 26, 2013

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Fires in Montana and Idaho
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Fires in Montana and Idaho

Tens of thousands of acres in the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness have burned during the 2013 wildfire season.

Published Aug 23, 2013

Fires

Sunrise over the Aleutian Islands, with Noctilucent Clouds
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Sunrise over the Aleutian Islands, with Noctilucent Clouds

Some astronauts say these wispy, iridescent clouds are the most beautiful phenomena they see from orbit.

Published Aug 20, 2013

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Southwestern Saudi Arabia at Night
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Southwestern Saudi Arabia at Night

Coastal cities flourish amidst a more moderate climate along the Red Sea.

Published Aug 12, 2013

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Strait of Tiran, Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba
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Strait of Tiran, Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba

The narrow strait between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia is an important passage for ships trying to reach Israel and Jordan.

Published Aug 5, 2013

Image of the Day Water

Salton Trough
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Salton Trough

Along the border of Mexico and the U.S., a geologically and tectonically complex area serves as a visual reference point for astronauts on the International Space Station.

Published Jul 29, 2013

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Gravity Waves and Sunglint, Lake Superior
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Gravity Waves and Sunglint, Lake Superior

This astronaut view of blending air masses, wind fields, and light reflections is a combination of beauty and of insight about the environment.

Published Jul 22, 2013

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Damascus, Syria
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Damascus, Syria

It is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, with evidence of human habitation extending back to 8,000–10,000 BC.

Published Jul 15, 2013

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Egyptian Dust Plume, Red Sea
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Egyptian Dust Plume, Red Sea

Airborne dust draws the eye to the place where Africa and Arabia once fit together.

Published Jul 8, 2013

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Deep in the Heart of Texas
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Deep in the Heart of Texas

This nighttime view from the International Space Station shows the state's four largest cities.

Published Jul 1, 2013

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ISERV observes flooding in Calgary
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ISERV observes flooding in Calgary

A camera system on the International Space Station observed the high water and muddy aftermath in southern Alberta, Canada.

Published Jun 29, 2013

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Astronaut View of Fires in Colorado
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Astronaut View of Fires in Colorado

The West Fork Complex fire was so hot that it spawned numerous pyrocumulus clouds.

Published Jun 26, 2013

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Nevados de Chillán, Chile
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Nevados de Chillán, Chile

This photograph by an astronaut on the International Space Station highlights the Nevados de Chillán, a large volcanic area near the Chile-Argentina border.

Published Jun 24, 2013

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Steam Plume at Gaua Volcano
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Steam Plume at Gaua Volcano

Astronauts observed ongoing activity at the volcano in the Vanuatu Archipelago.

Published Jun 17, 2013

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Volcanoes

Little Rock, Arkansas
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Little Rock, Arkansas

The landscape is defined by hills to the west and by the river running through it, not to mention the oxbow lakes that water left behind.

Published Jun 10, 2013

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Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia
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Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia

The historical oasis on the coast of the Arabian Gulf is now an oil industry oasis.

Published Jun 3, 2013

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Plankton Bloom, Black Sea
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Plankton Bloom, Black Sea

Rivers transport nutrient-filled urban and agricultural runoff into this inland sea, promoting phytoplankton blooms.

Published May 27, 2013

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Pavlof Volcano, Alaska Peninsula
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Pavlof Volcano, Alaska Peninsula

Three striking photographs of Pavlof Volcano reveal the three-dimensional structure of the eruption plume.

Published May 23, 2013

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Korangi, Pakistan
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Korangi, Pakistan

This highly urbanized and industrialized area stands in stark contrast next to dense green mangrove forests and waterways of the Indus River Delta.

Published May 20, 2013

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View of the Great Salt Lake from Skylab
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View of the Great Salt Lake from Skylab

America's first space station was launched forty years ago. Astronauts on Skylab conducted some the first comprehensive visual studies of Earth’s surface.

Published May 14, 2013

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Laguna Verde
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Laguna Verde

High in the Andes Mountains in Argentina, this salt lake hosts microbes that give the lakes distinct colors.

Published May 13, 2013

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San Diego-Tijuana Region
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San Diego-Tijuana Region

Straddling the border between the United States and Mexico, this metropolitan area is home to more than 5 million people.

Published May 6, 2013

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South Georgia Island
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South Georgia Island

Astronauts capture a view of the South Atlantic Island that looks like it has been taken from an airplane. Mountains and glaciers stand in stark relief against the sea.

Published Apr 29, 2013

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Tata Sabaya Volcano
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Tata Sabaya Volcano

While its current form is that of a youthful stratovolcano, the regional geological evidence indicates that Bolivia’s Tata Sabaya has an older, eventful history.

Published Apr 22, 2013

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