ISS032-E-9123
| NASA Photo ID | ISS032-E-9123 |
| Focal Length | 1200mm |
| Date taken | 2012.07.25 |
| Time taken | 07:21:45 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 841 pixels 540 x 454 pixels 1440 x 960 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 6048 x 4032 pixels 640 x 427 pixels
1000 x 841 pixels 540 x 454 pixels 1440 x 960 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 6048 x 4032 pixels 640 x 427 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 29.8° N, 31.3° E
Photo center point: 30.0° N, 31.1° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 30.0° N, 31.1° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: Northwest
Spacecraft Altitude: 216 nautical miles (400km)
Country or Geographic Name: | EGYPT |
Features: | PYRAMIDS OF GIZA, KAFR GHATATI, MONSHAAT AL BAKKARI, DESERT |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 53° |
Sun Azimuth: | 96° |
Camera: | Nikon D3X Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 1200mm |
Camera Tilt: | 04 degrees |
Format: | 6048E: 6048 x 4032 pixel CMOS sensor, 35.9mm x 24.0mm, total pixels: 25.72 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 841 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 454 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 1440 pixels | 960 pixels | No | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 6048 pixels | 4032 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 427 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
Note: This caption refers to the image versions labeled "NASA's Earth Observatory web site".
The Great Pyramids at Giza (image center) are the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and are perhaps the most famous of the ancient monuments in the Nile River Delta region of Egypt. They are also a favorite subject of photography from orbit - particularly when high resolution imagery can be obtained. This subset of a larger astronaut photograph illustrates the degree of detail visible from the International Space Station using a long focal length lens to provide high magnification of the land surface. With good sun illumination of the scene and a steady hand on the camera to track the feature of interest, current off-the-shelf digital cameras on board the ISS can obtain detailed imagery to rival that of automated satellite sensor systems in orbit.
The southeast-facing sides of the pyramids of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure are all brightly illuminated by the sun, while the northwest facing sides are in shadow. This shadowing also highlights smaller unfinished pyramids to the south of Menkaure's pyramid, as well as fields of rectangular flat roofed mastabas (tombs) to the east and west of Khufu's pyramid. While not as grand as the pyramids, mastabas were the burial places of prominent persons during the periods of the ancient pharaohs. To the southeast of Khufu's pyramid, the head and rear haunches of the Sphinx are also visible (albeit not clearly).
It is a short distance between the glories of ancient Egypt and the modern Cairo metropolitan area to the north and east. The green vegetation of a hotel golf course (image right), and the numerous building and streets of El Giza, provide stark contrast to the bare rock and soil of the adjacent desert. Roadways visible in the desert (image left) connect the urban regions to the east with further development to the north (not shown).
Note: This caption refers to the image versions labeled "NASA's Earth Observatory web site".
The Great Pyramids at Giza (image center) are the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and are perhaps the most famous of the ancient monuments in the Nile River Delta region of Egypt. They are also a favorite subject of photography from orbit - particularly when high resolution imagery can be obtained. This subset of a larger astronaut photograph illustrates the degree of detail visible from the International Space Station using a long focal length lens to provide high magnification of the land surface. With good sun illumination of the scene and a steady hand on the camera to track the feature of interest, current off-the-shelf digital cameras on board the ISS can obtain detailed imagery to rival that of automated satellite sensor systems in orbit.
The southeast-facing sides of the pyramids of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure are all brightly illuminated by the sun, while the northwest facing sides are in shadow. This shadowing also highlights smaller unfinished pyramids to the south of Menkaure's pyramid, as well as fields of rectangular flat roofed mastabas (tombs) to the east and west of Khufu's pyramid. While not as grand as the pyramids, mastabas were the burial places of prominent persons during the periods of the ancient pharaohs. To the southeast of Khufu's pyramid, the head and rear haunches of the Sphinx are also visible (albeit not clearly).
It is a short distance between the glories of ancient Egypt and the modern Cairo metropolitan area to the north and east. The green vegetation of a hotel golf course (image right), and the numerous building and streets of El Giza, provide stark contrast to the bare rock and soil of the adjacent desert. Roadways visible in the desert (image left) connect the urban regions to the east with further development to the north (not shown).
