Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

ISS012 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

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ISS012-E-11144 Sierra Nevada, Spain: The Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain, were formed during the Alpine Orogeny, a mountain-building event that also formed the European Alps to the east and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Sierra as observed today formed during the Tertiary Period (65 to 1.8 million years ago) from the collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates. The former Tethys Sea also closed during this time period; the Mediterranean Sea is the largest surviving remnant basin of the ancient Tethys.
The Sierra Nevada in the Granada province of Spain are perhaps the southernmost skiing location in all of Europe. Veleta Peak, at an elevation of 3,398 meters (11,148 feet) above sea level, is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. The rapid transition from lofty ski runs to Mediterranean beaches within a few hours’ drive has made the Sierra Nevada region popular for both outdoor and urban tourism. This astronaut photograph depicts the Veleta Peak region of the range and illustrates the sharp contrast between the snow-capped mountains, adjacent dry lowlands to the west and north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

ISS012-E-15035 Confluence of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo, IL: The Ohio River becomes a tributary of the Mississippi River directly south of Cairo, Illinois, a small city on the spit of land where the rivers converge (at center of this astronaut photograph). Brown, sediment-laden water flowing generally northeast to south from the Ohio River is distinct from the green and relatively sediment-poor water of the Mississippi River (flowing northwest to south). The color of the rivers in this image is reversed from the usual condition of a green Ohio and a brown Mississippi. This suggests that the very high rainfall in December 2005 over the Appalachians and the northeastern United States has led to greater-than-normal amounts of sediment in the rivers and streams of the Ohio River watershed. The distinct boundary between the two river’s waters indicates that little to no mixing occurs even 5-6 kilometers (3-4 miles) downstream.
Cairo became a prosperous port following the Civil War due to increased riverboat and railroad commerce. Small features visible in the image on the Ohio are river barges, which indicate the continued importance of Cairo as a transport hub. Flooding of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers presents a continual danger to the city; this danger is lessened by the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway that begins directly to the south of the river confluence. During major flood events, the floodway lessens flood stages upstream (such as at Cairo) and adjacent to the floodway. Part of the extensive levee system associated with flood control of the Mississippi River is visible in the image. Barlow Bottoms (image right), located in adjacent Kentucky, is a wetland bird-watching location that is replenished by periodic floods and releases of Ohio River water.

ISS012-E-15598 Turin, Italy: Located in the Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) region of northwestern Italy, the city of Turin (Torino) is an important industrial and cultural center hosting the Twentieth Olympic Winter Games. The Games will draw 2,600 athletes from 82 nations to compete in such traditional winter sports as skating, skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, and luge. Venues for the Games include several locations within downtown Turin and the nearby Alps to the west. The first Olympic Winter Games competition was held in Chamonix, France in 1924 with 258 athletes representing 16 nations.
The image illustrates the striking landscape surrounding the city, with the snow-capped Alps visible to the west and north. The city is located on the northern banks of the famous Po River. Two of the Po’s major tributaries are visible in this image, Stura di Lanzo and the Malone River. The built area of Turin appears dark grayish brown with large building complexes indicated by white roofs (bottom image center). La Mandria Regional Park, located along the southwest bank of Stura di Lanzo, is a nature and historical preserve approximately 10 km (6 miles) to the northwest of the city center. Decreasing image contrast over Turin is the result of atmospheric pollution commonly observed in the Po River valley.

ISS012-E-15050 Sandusky, Ohio: Muddy brown water fills Sandusky Bay, just south of Lake Erie in this astronaut photograph. The small city of Sandusky occupies the southeastern shore of the bay. Highway 2 can be seen arcing around the south side of the city. Ferries connect Sandusky to Pelee Island (not visible) in the middle of the lake. In earlier days, Sandusky Bay was known as one of the port sites best protected from rough waters in the Great Lakes.
The most striking aspect of this image is the flow of the brown water in and out of the mouth of the bay. Slight movement of lake surface water, driven mainly by wind, causes a small ebb and flow of bay water. Sediment-charged water is derived from agricultural fields along the Sandusky River upstream. Mud plumes in Lake Erie originate from prior pulses of muddy water from the bay. When this image was taken, some clear, lake water (blue-green strip) appeared to be flowing into the bay.
Sandusky lies midway between Toledo and Cleveland, both about an hour’s drive away. Sandusky has a diverse economic base in engineering and chemical plants, as well as boasting one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States, drawing millions of visitors each year to its very large amusement park, located on the eastern spit between Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. NASA Glenn Research Center - Plum Brook Station also appears in this image, in the lower right corner.

ISS012-E-14618 Lake Puma Yumco, Tibet, China: The alpine lakes of the Tibetan Plateau are some of the most remote in the world. This mosaic of astronaut photographs, taken along a single International Space Station orbit track, depicts Lake Puma Yumco during the winter season. The lake is located at an elevation of 5,030 meters above sea level (16,503 feet), and is considered ultraoligotrophic, meaning that nutrient concentrations in both the water column and lake sediments are extremely low. Water in such lakes tends to be blue to blue-green and to have high clarity due to low levels of photosynthesizing organisms such as phytoplankton. Color change in these lakes is usually due to shallowing of the water—blue indicating deeper water. A depth transition is visible along the west-southwest shoreline of Lake Puma Yumco at the lower left of image.
The most striking feature of the image mosaic is the intricate ice block pattern on the lake surface. The maximum dimensions of the lake are 31 kilometers by 14 kilometers (1 kilometer is about 0.6 miles), indicating that the ice blocks range from less than ten to hundreds of meters in diameter. The ice pattern is caused by repeated cycles of freezing, fracturing, and refreezing of the ice due to variations in temperature and wind-induced ice motion. A prominent white linear feature extending north-south across the center of the lake is suggestive of an ice ridge formed by east-west winds subsequently highlighted by snow. Similar features are visible along the eastern and southern shorelines and in the southwestern portion of the lake. Records from the nearest weather station to Lake Puma Yumco (approximately 140 kilometers to the northeast at Llasa, Tibet) indicate that daily day-night temperatures varied on average from -7 to 14 degrees Celsius (about 19 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit) during the week preceding acquisition of the astronaut photographs.

ISS012-E-15918 Belle Isle, Newfoundland, Canada: Belle Isle (center) is surrounded by sea ice in this recent winter view taken from the International Space Station. Belle Isle lies in the Belle Isle Strait between the island of Newfoundland and Labrador (the mainland portion of Canada’s Newfoundland province). A portion of a small island along the coast of Labrador appears in the top left corner.
Belle Isle lies in a key location; it’s on the shortest shipping lane between the Great Lakes and Europe, and also on the main north-south shipping route to Hudson Bay and the Northwest Territories. Snow and ice hide the dozens of glacier-scoured lakes that dot the surface of the island. The single community of Belle Isle Landing on the southeast tip is equally hard to see.
Ice patterns show that the island lies at the meeting point of two sea currents (larger arrows). The Labrador Current flows from the northwest (top left), and a smaller current, driven by dominant westerly winds, flows from the southwest (lower left). Flow lines in sea ice give a sense of the movement of the ice. Ice floes embedded in the Labrador Current appear in the upper part of the picture as a relatively open pattern. Sea ice with a denser pattern enters from the lower left corner, banking against the west side of Belle Isle. Tendrils flow around capes at either end of the island, with an ice-free “shadow” on the opposite, downstream side. Eddies (curved arrows) in the ice patterns show where the currents interact north and west of the island.

ISS012-E-16633 Savannah River Site, South Carolina: Situated between the South Carolina piedmont and the Atlantic Ocean, the Savannah River Site is an important part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear program. Construction of the site—originally called the Savannah River Plant—began in 1951 for the purpose of generating radioactive materials necessary for nuclear weapons production during the Cold War. A total of five nuclear reactors occupy the central portion of the site and operated throughout 1953–1992. Following the end of the Cold War in 1991, activities at the Savannah River Site are now focused on disposal of nuclear wastes, environmental cleanup of the site itself, and development of advanced remediation technologies.
The Savannah River Site is located in the Sand Hills region of South Carolina and includes an area of 800 square kilometers (about 300 square miles). The southern half of the site (building clusters with reflective white rooftops) is shown in this astronaut photograph. The nearby Savannah River and its tributary creeks provided a ready source of water for the nuclear reactors; to this end, two artificial lakes (“L” Lake and Par Pond) were constructed. The meandering channel of the river and its floodplain, characterized by grey-brown sediments, is visible on the far left of the image. Because the river is so close to the nuclear site and because the underlying geological materials (sand, clay, gravel, and carbonate rocks) are permeable, an extensive and ongoing environmental monitoring and cleanup effort is necessary to reduce potential contamination of local water sources. Final remediation of wastes posing threats to surface and groundwater is scheduled to occur by 2025.

ISS012-E-18779 Winter in the Dasht-e-Lut Desert, Eastern Iran: An International Space Station crew member took this striking photograph one evening in late February. The image takes advantage of the Sun’s low angle to reveal linear geological structures of the Iranian mountain range bordering the western edge of the basin known as Dasht-e-Lut. The range rises 1,818 meters (6,000 feet) above sea level and lies 750 kilometers (466 miles) north of the Persian Gulf. The convoluted appearance results from erosion of folded and faulted rocks—softer rocks erode away quickly, leaving more resistant rock to form linear ridges that are perpendicular to the direction of compression. While not a major oil-producing region like the Zagros Fold Belt to the southwest, the mountains of east-central Iran contain economically important deposits of copper and other metals.
Little vegetation can be seen from space in the arid interior basin of the Dasht-e-Lut. Iran is climatically part of the Afro-Asian belt of deserts that stretch from the Cape Verde islands off West Africa all the way to Mongolia near Beijing, China. The patchy, elongated, light-colored feature in the foreground (parallel to the mountain range) is the northernmost of the Dasht dry lakes that stretch southward 300 kilometers (186 miles). In near-tropical deserts, elevated areas capture most precipitation. Agricultural fields that depend on this precipitation appear as small dark patches in this image. They are located downslope, near the margin of the lake’s dry, salty soils.

ISS012-E-21351 Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006: The International Space Station (ISS) was in position to view the umbral (ground) shadow cast by the Moon as it moved between the Sun and the Earth during the solar eclipse on March 29, 2006. This astronaut image captures the umbral shadow across southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea. People living in these regions observed a total solar eclipse, in which the Moon completely covers the Sun’s disk. The astronaut photograph was taken at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time. The terminator of the eclipse—the line between the light and dark parts of the Sun’s disk— is visible as it passes across central Turkey. This total solar eclipse is the fourth to have occurred since 1999. The portion of the ISS visible at image top is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System.

ISS012-E-19051 Newport, Rhode Island: Newport, Rhode Island, is well known as a summer destination, but winter snow blankets the city of Newport in this astronaut photograph. One of the first European settlements in the Americas, the region was initially populated by colonists seeking religious freedom denied them in Europe. Founded in 1639, Newport became a bastion of the Baptist faith but also exemplified one of the basic precepts of the United States Constitution—separation of church and state. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Newport consolidated its position as one of the premier ports of the United States. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw a decline in commercial shipping at Newport and its rebirth as a recreational destination. Many of the leading industrialist families of the time, such as the Vanderbilts, built grand summer mansions that are now open to visitors.
The United States Navy has also had a strong presence in the Newport area since 1869, exemplified by the establishment of the Naval War College, shown at top center. The college, established in 1884, is still the premier educational institution for naval officers. The gray-brown metropolitan area of Newport contrasts sharply with the surrounding snow-covered open fields and rural areas to the east and southwest. The Clairborne Pell (also known as Newport) Bridge connects Jamestown, Rhode Island (on Conanicut Island) to Newport, shown at top. The main span of this suspension bridge is 485 meters (1,600 feet) long, and it crosses the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, shown at lower right, supports over 200 bird species, including the largest winter harlequin duck population on the East Coast.

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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." .

NASA Responsible Official: Susan Runco

Curator: jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov

Contributors: Earth Sciences Web Team

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

International Space Station National Laboratory

Last Update:

Server: 1

ISS012-E-11144	Sierra Nevada, Spain: The Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain, were formed during the Alpine Orogeny, a mountain-building event that also formed the European Alps to the east and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Sierra as observed today formed during the Tertiary Period (65 to 1.8 million years ago) from the collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates. The former Tethys Sea also closed during this time period; the Mediterranean Sea is the largest surviving remnant basin of the ancient Tethys. The Sierra Nevada in the Granada province of Spain are perhaps the southernmost skiing location in all of Europe. Veleta Peak, at an elevation of 3,398 meters (11,148 feet) above sea level, is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. The rapid transition from lofty ski runs to Mediterranean beaches within a few hours’ drive has made the Sierra Nevada region popular for both outdoor and urban tourism. This astronaut photograph depicts the Veleta Peak region of the range and illustrates the sharp contrast between the snow-capped mountains, adjacent dry lowlands to the west and north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
ISS012-E-15035	Confluence of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo, IL: The Ohio River becomes a tributary of the Mississippi River directly south of Cairo, Illinois, a small city on the spit of land where the rivers converge (at center of this astronaut photograph). Brown, sediment-laden water flowing generally northeast to south from the Ohio River is distinct from the green and relatively sediment-poor water of the Mississippi River (flowing northwest to south). The color of the rivers in this image is reversed from the usual condition of a green Ohio and a brown Mississippi. This suggests that the very high rainfall in December 2005 over the Appalachians and the northeastern United States has led to greater-than-normal amounts of sediment in the rivers and streams of the Ohio River watershed. The distinct boundary between the two river’s waters indicates that little to no mixing occurs even 5-6 kilometers (3-4 miles) downstream. Cairo became a prosperous port following the Civil War due to increased riverboat and railroad commerce. Small features visible in the image on the Ohio are river barges, which indicate the continued importance of Cairo as a transport hub. Flooding of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers presents a continual danger to the city; this danger is lessened by the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway that begins directly to the south of the river confluence. During major flood events, the floodway lessens flood stages upstream (such as at Cairo) and adjacent to the floodway. Part of the extensive levee system associated with flood control of the Mississippi River is visible in the image. Barlow Bottoms (image right), located in adjacent Kentucky, is a wetland bird-watching location that is replenished by periodic floods and releases of Ohio River water.
ISS012-E-15598	Turin, Italy: Located in the Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) region of northwestern Italy, the city of Turin (Torino) is an important industrial and cultural center hosting the Twentieth Olympic Winter Games. The Games will draw 2,600 athletes from 82 nations to compete in such traditional winter sports as skating, skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, and luge. Venues for the Games include several locations within downtown Turin and the nearby Alps to the west. The first Olympic Winter Games competition was held in Chamonix, France in 1924 with 258 athletes representing 16 nations. The image illustrates the striking landscape surrounding the city, with the snow-capped Alps visible to the west and north. The city is located on the northern banks of the famous Po River. Two of the Po’s major tributaries are visible in this image, Stura di Lanzo and the Malone River. The built area of Turin appears dark grayish brown with large building complexes indicated by white roofs (bottom image center). La Mandria Regional Park, located along the southwest bank of Stura di Lanzo, is a nature and historical preserve approximately 10 km (6 miles) to the northwest of the city center. Decreasing image contrast over Turin is the result of atmospheric pollution commonly observed in the Po River valley.
ISS012-E-15050	Sandusky, Ohio: Muddy brown water fills Sandusky Bay, just south of Lake Erie in this astronaut photograph. The small city of Sandusky occupies the southeastern shore of the bay. Highway 2 can be seen arcing around the south side of the city. Ferries connect Sandusky to Pelee Island (not visible) in the middle of the lake. In earlier days, Sandusky Bay was known as one of the port sites best protected from rough waters in the Great Lakes. The most striking aspect of this image is the flow of the brown water in and out of the mouth of the bay. Slight movement of lake surface water, driven mainly by wind, causes a small ebb and flow of bay water. Sediment-charged water is derived from agricultural fields along the Sandusky River upstream. Mud plumes in Lake Erie originate from prior pulses of muddy water from the bay. When this image was taken, some clear, lake water (blue-green strip) appeared to be flowing into the bay. Sandusky lies midway between Toledo and Cleveland, both about an hour’s drive away. Sandusky has a diverse economic base in engineering and chemical plants, as well as boasting one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States, drawing millions of visitors each year to its very large amusement park, located on the eastern spit between Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. NASA Glenn Research Center - Plum Brook Station also appears in this image, in the lower right corner.
ISS012-E-14618	Lake Puma Yumco, Tibet, China: The alpine lakes of the Tibetan Plateau are some of the most remote in the world. This mosaic of astronaut photographs, taken along a single International Space Station orbit track, depicts Lake Puma Yumco during the winter season. The lake is located at an elevation of 5,030 meters above sea level (16,503 feet), and is considered ultraoligotrophic, meaning that nutrient concentrations in both the water column and lake sediments are extremely low. Water in such lakes tends to be blue to blue-green and to have high clarity due to low levels of photosynthesizing organisms such as phytoplankton. Color change in these lakes is usually due to shallowing of the water—blue indicating deeper water. A depth transition is visible along the west-southwest shoreline of Lake Puma Yumco at the lower left of image. The most striking feature of the image mosaic is the intricate ice block pattern on the lake surface. The maximum dimensions of the lake are 31 kilometers by 14 kilometers (1 kilometer is about 0.6 miles), indicating that the ice blocks range from less than ten to hundreds of meters in diameter. The ice pattern is caused by repeated cycles of freezing, fracturing, and refreezing of the ice due to variations in temperature and wind-induced ice motion. A prominent white linear feature extending north-south across the center of the lake is suggestive of an ice ridge formed by east-west winds subsequently highlighted by snow. Similar features are visible along the eastern and southern shorelines and in the southwestern portion of the lake. Records from the nearest weather station to Lake Puma Yumco (approximately 140 kilometers to the northeast at Llasa, Tibet) indicate that daily day-night temperatures varied on average from -7 to 14 degrees Celsius (about 19 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit) during the week preceding acquisition of the astronaut photographs.
ISS012-E-15918	Belle Isle, Newfoundland, Canada: Belle Isle (center) is surrounded by sea ice in this recent winter view taken from the International Space Station. Belle Isle lies in the Belle Isle Strait between the island of Newfoundland and Labrador (the mainland portion of Canada’s Newfoundland province). A portion of a small island along the coast of Labrador appears in the top left corner. Belle Isle lies in a key location; it’s on the shortest shipping lane between the Great Lakes and Europe, and also on the main north-south shipping route to Hudson Bay and the Northwest Territories. Snow and ice hide the dozens of glacier-scoured lakes that dot the surface of the island. The single community of Belle Isle Landing on the southeast tip is equally hard to see. Ice patterns show that the island lies at the meeting point of two sea currents (larger arrows). The Labrador Current flows from the northwest (top left), and a smaller current, driven by dominant westerly winds, flows from the southwest (lower left). Flow lines in sea ice give a sense of the movement of the ice. Ice floes embedded in the Labrador Current appear in the upper part of the picture as a relatively open pattern. Sea ice with a denser pattern enters from the lower left corner, banking against the west side of Belle Isle. Tendrils flow around capes at either end of the island, with an ice-free “shadow” on the opposite, downstream side. Eddies (curved arrows) in the ice patterns show where the currents interact north and west of the island.
ISS012-E-16633	Savannah River Site, South Carolina: Situated between the South Carolina piedmont and the Atlantic Ocean, the Savannah River Site is an important part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear program. Construction of the site—originally called the Savannah River Plant—began in 1951 for the purpose of generating radioactive materials necessary for nuclear weapons production during the Cold War. A total of five nuclear reactors occupy the central portion of the site and operated throughout 1953–1992. Following the end of the Cold War in 1991, activities at the Savannah River Site are now focused on disposal of nuclear wastes, environmental cleanup of the site itself, and development of advanced remediation technologies. The Savannah River Site is located in the Sand Hills region of South Carolina and includes an area of 800 square kilometers (about 300 square miles). The southern half of the site (building clusters with reflective white rooftops) is shown in this astronaut photograph. The nearby Savannah River and its tributary creeks provided a ready source of water for the nuclear reactors; to this end, two artificial lakes (“L” Lake and Par Pond) were constructed. The meandering channel of the river and its floodplain, characterized by grey-brown sediments, is visible on the far left of the image. Because the river is so close to the nuclear site and because the underlying geological materials (sand, clay, gravel, and carbonate rocks) are permeable, an extensive and ongoing environmental monitoring and cleanup effort is necessary to reduce potential contamination of local water sources. Final remediation of wastes posing threats to surface and groundwater is scheduled to occur by 2025.
ISS012-E-18779	Winter in the Dasht-e-Lut Desert, Eastern Iran: An International Space Station crew member took this striking photograph one evening in late February. The image takes advantage of the Sun’s low angle to reveal linear geological structures of the Iranian mountain range bordering the western edge of the basin known as Dasht-e-Lut. The range rises 1,818 meters (6,000 feet) above sea level and lies 750 kilometers (466 miles) north of the Persian Gulf. The convoluted appearance results from erosion of folded and faulted rocks—softer rocks erode away quickly, leaving more resistant rock to form linear ridges that are perpendicular to the direction of compression. While not a major oil-producing region like the Zagros Fold Belt to the southwest, the mountains of east-central Iran contain economically important deposits of copper and other metals. Little vegetation can be seen from space in the arid interior basin of the Dasht-e-Lut. Iran is climatically part of the Afro-Asian belt of deserts that stretch from the Cape Verde islands off West Africa all the way to Mongolia near Beijing, China. The patchy, elongated, light-colored feature in the foreground (parallel to the mountain range) is the northernmost of the Dasht dry lakes that stretch southward 300 kilometers (186 miles). In near-tropical deserts, elevated areas capture most precipitation. Agricultural fields that depend on this precipitation appear as small dark patches in this image. They are located downslope, near the margin of the lake’s dry, salty soils.
ISS012-E-21351	Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006: The International Space Station (ISS) was in position to view the umbral (ground) shadow cast by the Moon as it moved between the Sun and the Earth during the solar eclipse on March 29, 2006. This astronaut image captures the umbral shadow across southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea. People living in these regions observed a total solar eclipse, in which the Moon completely covers the Sun’s disk. The astronaut photograph was taken at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time. The terminator of the eclipse—the line between the light and dark parts of the Sun’s disk— is visible as it passes across central Turkey. This total solar eclipse is the fourth to have occurred since 1999. The portion of the ISS visible at image top is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System.
ISS012-E-19051	Newport, Rhode Island: Newport, Rhode Island, is well known as a summer destination, but winter snow blankets the city of Newport in this astronaut photograph. One of the first European settlements in the Americas, the region was initially populated by colonists seeking religious freedom denied them in Europe. Founded in 1639, Newport became a bastion of the Baptist faith but also exemplified one of the basic precepts of the United States Constitution—separation of church and state. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Newport consolidated its position as one of the premier ports of the United States. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw a decline in commercial shipping at Newport and its rebirth as a recreational destination. Many of the leading industrialist families of the time, such as the Vanderbilts, built grand summer mansions that are now open to visitors. The United States Navy has also had a strong presence in the Newport area since 1869, exemplified by the establishment of the Naval War College, shown at top center. The college, established in 1884, is still the premier educational institution for naval officers. The gray-brown metropolitan area of Newport contrasts sharply with the surrounding snow-covered open fields and rural areas to the east and southwest. The Clairborne Pell (also known as Newport) Bridge connects Jamestown, Rhode Island (on Conanicut Island) to Newport, shown at top. The main span of this suspension bridge is 485 meters (1,600 feet) long, and it crosses the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, shown at lower right, supports over 200 bird species, including the largest winter harlequin duck population on the East Coast.

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." .
	NASA Responsible Official: Susan Runco Curator: jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov Contributors: Earth Sciences Web Team	National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	International Space Station National Laboratory Last Update:
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