Earth from Space - Image Description

STS085-708-068 Abilene, Texas August, 1997
This southeast-looking view shows the city of Abilene, Texas. Abilene grew as a shipping point for cattle ranches and is now the financial, commercial, and educational center of a large part of west Texas. The city has a diversified economy, which includes manufacturing, retail trade, farming and ranching, and petroleum. Abilene is the home of Dyess Air Force Base, the major runway for which is visible just to the right of the center of the image (west of the city). The runways of Abilene Regional Airport are discernible to the southeast of the city (step-like pair of light lines). Barely discernible to the north of the city is a small reservoir.

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