Mount Everest (Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the World)

Mt. Everest is the highest (29,035 feet, 8850 meters) mountain in the world. This detailed look at Mt. Everest and Lohtse is part of a more extensive photograph of the central Himalaya taken in October 1993 that is one of the best views of the mountain captured by astronauts to date. It shows the North and South Faces of Everest in shadow with the Kangshung Face in morning light. Other major peaks in the immediate area are Nuptse and Bei Peak (Changtse). The picture was taken looking slightly obliquely when the spacecraft was north of Everest. Everest holds a powerful fascination for climbers and trekkers from around the world. The paths for typical North and South climbing routes are sketched on this image.

Much of the regional context can be seen in the complete photograph, which shows Mt. Everest and other large peaks to the northwest. More information on the photograph STS058-101-12 can be found at the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. An unannotated version can also be downloaded. The digital images shown have been reduced to a spatial resolution equivalent to 48 m / pixel; a high-resolution digital image of the same photograph would be at 12 meters per pixel.

Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center