Astronaut Photography

Greater Denver and the Front Range
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Greater Denver and the Front Range

A smooth, broad bend separates mountains and plains on the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

Published Aug 10, 2015

Image of the Day Human Presence

Typhoon Soudelor Seen from the ISS
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Typhoon Soudelor Seen from the ISS

Taiwan braces as the potent storm approaches.

Published Aug 7, 2015

Severe Storms

Adele Island
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Adele Island

The most interesting geology lies just offshore and below the water line of this Northwest Australian island.

Published Aug 3, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water

Activity at Klyuchevskoy Volcano
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Activity at Klyuchevskoy Volcano

This photograph from the ISS highlights one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth: the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia.

Published Jul 27, 2015

Image of the Day Land Snow and Ice

Salt Ponds and Coastal Flats, Western Australia
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Salt Ponds and Coastal Flats, Western Australia

This stretch of Australian coast is noted for its tropical climate and its remoteness.

Published Jul 20, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

The Port of Sfax
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The Port of Sfax

Tunisia’s “second city” is home to a large fishing fleet and a vast coastal redevelopment project.

Published Jul 13, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
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Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

Astronauts capture a glimpse of the unique coastlines and islands of Canada’s Maritime Provinces.

Published Jul 6, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Snow and Ice

Laguna Colorada
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Laguna Colorada

The salty and brightly colored lake in the Bolivian Andes is an important wetland.

Published Jun 29, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water

Panorama of the Pacific Northwest
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Panorama of the Pacific Northwest

The Cascades, Rockies, and Coast Mountains divide the damp coastal and dry interior landscapes of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.

Published Jun 22, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Planetary Exploration on Earth
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Planetary Exploration on Earth

In June 2015, a team of scientists, journalism students, and an astronaut conducted a geological field study similar to what future astronauts might have to do when they first land on the Moon or Mars.

Published Jun 15, 2015

Image of the Day Land

Aswan High Dam
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Aswan High Dam

The vast dam in southern Egypt is one of the largest earthen embankment dams in the world.

Published Jun 8, 2015

Image of the Day Water Human Presence

Good Air and Brown Water
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Good Air and Brown Water

Buenos Aires, the largest city in Argentina, sits near the outflow of the second largest river in South America.

Published Jun 1, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Just Another Night Over Java
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Just Another Night Over Java

This astronaut photograph includes lights from several sources: cities, roads, fishing boats, gas flares, lightning, and even glowing air.

Published May 30, 2015

Image of the Day Atmosphere Human Presence

Lake Issyk Kul
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Lake Issyk Kul

Situated in the central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, it is the second largest mountain lake in the world and an important site for biodiversity and Silk Road history.

Published May 25, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence Snow and Ice

Rann of Kutch, India
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Rann of Kutch, India

Once submerged under an arm of the Arabian Sea, this dry lowland is now rich in salt.

Published May 18, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water

Scandinavia at Night
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Scandinavia at Night

City lights trace the coastlines, while moonlight illuminates the snow and clouds.

Published May 11, 2015

Image of the Day Human Presence

Tsiribihina River, Madagascar
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Tsiribihina River, Madagascar

Muddy river flow builds up the delta and the coastline on the island’s west coast.

Published May 4, 2015

Image of the Day Water

Florianópolis, Brazil
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Florianópolis, Brazil

Astronauts learn to sense the way sunlight brings out different features in the water and around coastal cities.

Published Apr 27, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Rivers and Snow in the Himalayas
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Rivers and Snow in the Himalayas

Long shadows and deep gullies make for a majestic landscape.

Published Apr 20, 2015

Image of the Day Land Snow and Ice

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
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Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

In Colombia, high mountains show a rare sight in the tropics: snow and ice.

Published Apr 13, 2015

Image of the Day Land Life

Cairo at Night
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Cairo at Night

Home to one-fifth of Egypt’s population, it is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa’s second largest.

Published Apr 6, 2015

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Typhoon Maysak from the Space Station
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Typhoon Maysak from the Space Station

To the astronauts, the eye of the storm seemed like a black hole from a sci-fi movie.

Published Apr 1, 2015

Atmosphere Severe Storms

Lake Chad and a Bodele Dust Plume
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Lake Chad and a Bodele Dust Plume

Desert meets woodland in Africa, punctuated by an ancient lake.

Published Mar 30, 2015

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land

Texas and the Gulf at Night
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Texas and the Gulf at Night

Cities, moonlight, and fossil-fuel industries frame the Gulf of Mexico with light.

Published Mar 23, 2015

Image of the Day Life Human Presence

A Sign of Surging on Bivachny Glacier
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A Sign of Surging on Bivachny Glacier

The looping medial moraines on Tajikistan’s Bivachny glacier offer a clue of periods when it surged rapidly forward.

Published Mar 17, 2015

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

San Diego
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San Diego

Astronauts flying on the International Space Station took this photograph of California’s southernmost coastal city.

Published Mar 16, 2015

Image of the Day Human Presence

Volcanoes, Vog, and Vortices
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Volcanoes, Vog, and Vortices

Vog haze is transported hundreds of kilometers downwind of the Big Island of Hawaii, forming subtle but distinct alternating swirls.

Published Mar 9, 2015

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Volcanoes

Djibouti and the Southern Red Sea
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Djibouti and the Southern Red Sea

The nation is strategically positioned on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Published Mar 2, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water

New Zealand in Sunglint
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New Zealand in Sunglint

New Zealand is seldom photographed from orbit because it is one of the cloudier parts of planet, and because crew sleep periods often occur when the ISS passes over the area.

Published Feb 23, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water

Eastern Canada, Day and Night
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Eastern Canada, Day and Night

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took these midwinter panoramas of the St. Lawrence River and surrounding cities.

Published Feb 16, 2015

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence Snow and Ice