Earth from Space - Image Description

STS073-750-032 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. October 1995
Easy differentiation between land and water forms surrounding Charleston is provided by color infrared film. Some cloud formations obscure the landscapes and waterscapes; however, the darker rivers, bays, estuaries, and Atlantic Ocean stand out in contrast to both vegetated and nonvegetated land areas. The red hues depict gradations of green vegetation, and the whitish surfaces are highways, bridges, rooftops, and commercial areas. Only two rivers are apparent--the Ashley River that forms the northwest side of the peninsula that makes up downtown Charleston and the Cooper River that creates the eastern boundary of the same peninsula that protrudes southeast into Charleston Harbor--the other waterways are part of the interconnected and complex coastal wetlands. The dense vegetation east of Cooper River is Francis Marion National Forest.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.