ISS041-E-105277
| NASA Photo ID | ISS041-E-105277 |
| Focal Length | 200mm |
| Date taken | 2014.10.30 |
| Time taken | 09:55:13 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 666 pixels 540 x 360 pixels 2464 x 1640 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4928 x 3280 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
1000 x 666 pixels 540 x 360 pixels 2464 x 1640 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4928 x 3280 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 10.3° S, 150.1° E
Photo center point:
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point:
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center:
Spacecraft Altitude: 225 nautical miles (417km)
Country or Geographic Name: | AUSTRALIA-NT |
Features: | THUNDERCLOUD ANVIL SILHOUETTE, LIMB |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | PAN- |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | -28° |
Sun Azimuth: | 248° |
Camera: | Nikon D4 Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 200mm |
Camera Tilt: | High Oblique |
Format: | 4928E: 4928 x 3280 pixel CMOS sensor, 36.0mm x 23.9mm, total pixels: 16.6 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 666 pixels | No | No | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 360 pixels | No | No | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 2464 pixels | 1640 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 4928 pixels | 3280 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 426 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Thunderhead with anvil, Australia
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this image of a large thundercloud at sunset from a point over Papua New Guinea. The side-on view shows that the cloud was in the vicinity of the horizon more than 1500 km west of the spacecraft, suggesting that the cloud lay over northern Australia or the Gulf of Carpentaria. With enough convective energy, clouds in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, can rise until they bump up against the stable overlying layer, at which point they spread sideways, making a thin upper zone shaped like an anvil, such as the one seen here. Knowing the camera lens focal length and the cloud location near the horizon, this expansive anvil measures approximately 200 km.
The spectacular detail seen in side-on views, backlit by the bright atmosphere, shows no rain falling from most of the cloud. The warm colors of the troposphere, compared with the blues above, are partly a measure of dust and other particulates that reflect red and yellow wavelengths.
Astronauts often comment on the thinness of the Earth's life-supporting envelope, and how it suggests the fragility of our planetary ecosystem. They also note that the number of atmospheric layers they detect with their eyes is much greater than their photographs show.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this image of a large thundercloud at sunset from a point over Papua New Guinea. The side-on view shows that the cloud was in the vicinity of the horizon more than 1500 km west of the spacecraft, suggesting that the cloud lay over northern Australia or the Gulf of Carpentaria. With enough convective energy, clouds in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, can rise until they bump up against the stable overlying layer, at which point they spread sideways, making a thin upper zone shaped like an anvil, such as the one seen here. Knowing the camera lens focal length and the cloud location near the horizon, this expansive anvil measures approximately 200 km.
The spectacular detail seen in side-on views, backlit by the bright atmosphere, shows no rain falling from most of the cloud. The warm colors of the troposphere, compared with the blues above, are partly a measure of dust and other particulates that reflect red and yellow wavelengths.
Astronauts often comment on the thinness of the Earth's life-supporting envelope, and how it suggests the fragility of our planetary ecosystem. They also note that the number of atmospheric layers they detect with their eyes is much greater than their photographs show.
