Astronaut Photography

San Antonio, Texas
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San Antonio, Texas

The convention facilities, missions, The Alamo, and the overall historical character of the city bring 26 million visitors every year.

Published Jan 11, 2016

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South Africa and Lesotho—A Panorama
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South Africa and Lesotho—A Panorama

The Witwatersrand and Vredefort impact crater stand out in this diverse landscape.

Published Jan 4, 2016

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United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf
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United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf

Crews aboard the International Space Station often look for signs of human activity along the coastlines of the Persian Gulf, where a growing Middle Eastern population has been moving.

Published Dec 28, 2015

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Bolshaya Ipelka and Opala
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Bolshaya Ipelka and Opala

Astronauts captured this view of two snow-covered volcanoes in southern Kamchatka, Russia.

Published Dec 21, 2015

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Saudi Arabia Canyonlands
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Saudi Arabia Canyonlands

A low sun angle add three-dimensional relief to a flat landscape in the desert.

Published Dec 14, 2015

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Glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains, Northern Tibet
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Glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains, Northern Tibet

Shadows provide three-dimensional perspective for astronauts looking down on mountains.

Published Dec 7, 2015

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Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii
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Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii

As the highest volcano on the island of Hawaii, it is an ideal location for astronomical observatories.

Published Nov 30, 2015

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Lake Titicaca
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Lake Titicaca

Sitting atop the Andes plateau on the border between Peru and Bolivia, the lake is the highest major body of navigable water in the world and the largest lake in South America.

Published Nov 23, 2015

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Suez Canal, Port Said
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Suez Canal, Port Said

Modern international shipping meets the ancient world in the famous canal.

Published Nov 16, 2015

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Manihiki Atoll
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Manihiki Atoll

One of the larger islands in the remote Cook Island chain of the Central Pacific has the classic features of a coral atoll.

Published Nov 9, 2015

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Amazon, Tapajós, and Santarém
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Amazon, Tapajós, and Santarém

Two rivers meet near the port city of Santarém in the interior of Brazil.

Published Nov 2, 2015

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Development Patterns, North China
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Development Patterns, North China

Some parts of the world are marked by such unique human patterns that astronauts learn which country they are overflying just by looking out the windows on the International Space Station.

Published Oct 26, 2015

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Saltillo and the Sierra Madre Oriental
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Saltillo and the Sierra Madre Oriental

The capital and largest city in Coahuila is sometimes called the “Athens of Mexico.”

Published Oct 19, 2015

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Linta River Delta and Dunes
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Linta River Delta and Dunes

An astronaut shot this photograph of a complex shoreline environment in southern Madagascar.

Published Oct 12, 2015

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India-Pakistan Border at Night
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India-Pakistan Border at Night

This photograph shows one of the few places on Earth where an international boundary can be seen at night.

Published Oct 5, 2015

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Aquaculture in Northeast China
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Aquaculture in Northeast China

Fish farms have been constructed at many points along the coastline of Liaoning Province, but this group of basins facing the Yellow Sea is the largest.

Published Sep 28, 2015

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Great Exuma Island, Bahamas
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Great Exuma Island, Bahamas

For astronauts, this is one of the most recognizable points on the planet.

Published Sep 21, 2015

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Center Pivot Systems, Bahia State
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Center Pivot Systems, Bahia State

As Brazil’s economy rapidly expands, center-pivot technology is being introduced to counter the effects of irregular rains and drought in the drier interior.

Published Sep 14, 2015

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Chilubi Island, Zambia
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Chilubi Island, Zambia

The strangely shaped sand island sits in the middle of Lake Bangweulu.

Published Sep 7, 2015

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Shaping Cape Cod
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Shaping Cape Cod

Winds and wave refraction give the area around Provincetown a distinctive hook shape.

Published Aug 31, 2015

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Red Sprites Above the U.S. and Central America
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Red Sprites Above the U.S. and Central America

Within three minutes, astronauts acquired two photographs of elusive red sprite emissions above thunderstorms.

Published Aug 24, 2015

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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