An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of Istanbul, Türkiye, while orbiting over the Black Sea. The Istanbul metropolitan area is the grayish region stretching across the lower part of the photo. The light pink tones come from the roofs of many of its buildings. The urban area contrasts with the dark-green hues of forested hills to the north.
The Istanbul metropolitan area, home to more than 16 million people, is a historical hub for commerce due to its unique geographical location. The city straddles the Bosporus strait, which serves as a direct link between the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south. Many ships are visible as small specks in the various water bodies in the image.
The Bosporus not only divides Istanbul but also separates Europe and Asia, meaning the city spans two continents. The continents are linked by three bridges across the strait: one near the northern coast and two within the city. These bridges are all parts of major highway systems in the area. At the lower left of the image is the Atatürk Airport, which was once Istanbul’s main international airport. The new Istanbul International Airport is near the upper left of this image, just out of view.
On the European side of the strait, quarries appear as patches of dark gray and tan-colored land. The region is famous for its white marble, which has been used in the construction of many historical buildings across the city.
Along the southern coast, the urban fabric is broken up by small patches of vegetated land. The coastal region has a large concentration of parks, allowing residents to leave the bustle of the city and take in the coastal views. On the right side of the image, an archipelago known as Kızıl Adalar (also called Princes Islands) in the Sea of Marmara is a hotspot for tourism.
Astronaut photograph ISS072-E-34369 was acquired on October 8, 2024, with a Nikon Z9 digital camera using a focal length of 400 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 72 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by Chloe Locke, Amentum JETS II Contract at NASA-JSC.
