Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

STS-087 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

TOP PICKS

Click here to view the complete online collection of astronaut photography of Earth >>

STS087-704-53 Aorounga Impact Crater, Chad: Aorounga, a multi-ringed impact crater, has a diameter of 12.6 km and is less than 345 million years old. The partially eroded crater is located to the southeast of Emi Koussi on the Tibesti Massif in Chad. The impact nature of the crater was confimed in 1992 when a team of French investigators identified shocked minerals at the site. It has been proposed, although not confirmed, that Aorounga (south) is one of a chain of craters. Two craters to the northeast (Aorounga central and Aorounga north) were detected in radar images of the area taken by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-band Synthetic Aperature Radar (SIR-C/X- SAR) on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in April and October of 1994. The dark streaks overlaying the crater are valleys carved out by thousands of years of wind erosion.

STS087-707-92 Ganges Delta: A glacier at about 22,100 feet in the Himalayas is the source of the Ganges river. Hundreds of miles later and joined by other tributaries the Ganges delta enters the Bay of Bengal. The delta, at 200 miles wide (320 km) is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions of the world. The eastern side of the delta changes rapidly and forms new land because of rapid sedimentation. The southern part of the delta has a darker appearance because of tidal forests, swampland, and mangroves. The Sundarbans is the name of this forested area and it is the site of a tiger preservation project for the governments of India and Bangladesh.

STS087-716-83 Mount Everest: Mount Everest.

STS087-724-10 Great Western Torres Island: Great Western Torres Is., near Burma in the Andaman Sea. Subsurface internal waves refract around a submerged atoll. Internal waves are tidally induced and travel along a density discontinuity between surface and deeper water.

STS087-722-26 Coast and Gulf of Suez, Egypt: A view of alluvial plains visible from space provides scientists working for the region's national parks a means to study coastal dynamics.

STS087-722-28 Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt: Significant changes in coastal land-use through construction of resort areas and major roads are evident in these two photographs (click here to see the other image). These space photos can help scientists study change-over-time of coastal area development.

STS087-718-29 Sinai Peninsula, Egypt: Viewing the mountainous region of the St. Katherine Protectorate from space, a gray patch is visible on top of a heavily visited mountain. This might prompt conservationists to visit the area and determine whether the erosion is natural or anthropogenic.

< Previous 1 Next >

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

STS087-704-53	Aorounga Impact Crater, Chad: Aorounga, a multi-ringed impact crater, has a diameter of 12.6 km and is less than 345 million years old. The partially eroded crater is located to the southeast of Emi Koussi on the Tibesti Massif in Chad. The impact nature of the crater was confimed in 1992 when a team of French investigators identified shocked minerals at the site. It has been proposed, although not confirmed, that Aorounga (south) is one of a chain of craters. Two craters to the northeast (Aorounga central and Aorounga north) were detected in radar images of the area taken by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-band Synthetic Aperature Radar (SIR-C/X- SAR) on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in April and October of 1994. The dark streaks overlaying the crater are valleys carved out by thousands of years of wind erosion.
STS087-707-92	Ganges Delta: A glacier at about 22,100 feet in the Himalayas is the source of the Ganges river. Hundreds of miles later and joined by other tributaries the Ganges delta enters the Bay of Bengal. The delta, at 200 miles wide (320 km) is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions of the world. The eastern side of the delta changes rapidly and forms new land because of rapid sedimentation. The southern part of the delta has a darker appearance because of tidal forests, swampland, and mangroves. The Sundarbans is the name of this forested area and it is the site of a tiger preservation project for the governments of India and Bangladesh.
STS087-716-83	Mount Everest: Mount Everest.
STS087-724-10	Great Western Torres Island: Great Western Torres Is., near Burma in the Andaman Sea. Subsurface internal waves refract around a submerged atoll. Internal waves are tidally induced and travel along a density discontinuity between surface and deeper water.
STS087-722-26	Coast and Gulf of Suez, Egypt: A view of alluvial plains visible from space provides scientists working for the region's national parks a means to study coastal dynamics.
STS087-722-28	Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt: Significant changes in coastal land-use through construction of resort areas and major roads are evident in these two photographs (click here to see the other image). These space photos can help scientists study change-over-time of coastal area development.
STS087-718-29	Sinai Peninsula, Egypt: Viewing the mountainous region of the St. Katherine Protectorate from space, a gray patch is visible on top of a heavily visited mountain. This might prompt conservationists to visit the area and determine whether the erosion is natural or anthropogenic.

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