| ISS008 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights |
| TOP PICKS |
| Click here to view the complete online collection of astronaut photography of Earth >> |
| ISS008-E-13304 |
 ISS008-E-13304 Click the photo number to access all resolutions available and the database record. |
| On Top of the World: Everest and Makalu: Astronauts on board
the International Space Station (ISS) have a unique view of the world
because of their position in a low orbit (200 nautical miles, 360 km)
relative to satellites and their ability to look at any angle out the
windows of the spacecraft. ISS crewmembers recently took advantage of
their vantage point to photograph a series of oblique views of the
Himalayas looking south from over the Tibetan Plateau. At first
glance, one might think that the image looks like a picture taken
from an airplane, until you remember that the summits of Makalu [left
(8,462 meters; 27,765 feet)] and Everest [right (8,850 meters; 29,035
feet)] are at the heights typically flown by commercial aircraft. The
full
mosaic covers over 130 kilometers (80 miles) of the Himalayan
front, and could never be seen this way from an airplane. The image is part of a larger panorama mosaic of the Himalayas that can be interactively viewed. The popular Find Mt. Everest feature is used to train astronauts to be able to find the peak in a few seconds as they pass over the Himalayas. |
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This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science Directorate. Recommended Citation: Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. "The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth." . |
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