ISS058-E-25364
| NASA Photo ID | ISS058-E-25364 |
| Focal Length | 24mm |
| Date taken | 2019.02.22 |
| Time taken | 08:23:58 GMT |
5568 x 3712 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 5568 x 3712 pixels 640 x 427 pixels
Photo center point: 16.0° N, 96.0° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Country or Geographic Name: | MYANMAR (BURMA) |
Features: | SUNGLINT, IRRAWADDY RIVER, YANGON, ANDAMAN SEA, DELTA, SEDIMENT |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 40° |
Sun Azimuth: | 237° |
Camera: | Nikon D5 Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 24mm |
Camera Tilt: | 48 degrees |
Format: | 5568E: 5568 x 3712 pixel CMOS sensor, 35.9 x 23.9 mm, total pixels: 21.33 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5568 pixels | 3712 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 5568 pixels | 3712 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 427 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
Using a short lens to give a wide view, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) focused a camera on the 160 kilometer-wide (100 mile) Irrawaddy river delta. The Irrawaddy is the largest river in Burma (Myanmar) and the country's most important transportation artery. The capital city and port of Yangon is situated near the sea in a protected location on a major distributary.
The very bright zone near the coast is the sunglint point, where sunlight is reflected directly back at the camera. Astronauts frequently use a technique of following the glint point because it strongly emphasizes the details of shorelines.
The Irrawaddy River empties into the Andaman Sea, bringing vast quantities of silt and mud that alter the color of the water near the delta. In this photo, the sediment color pattern is complicated by bright and dark sunglint streaks caused by wind. On this day, westerly winds swept around the southern tip of the Arakan Mountains. (Note that north is to the bottom right of this photo.)
The chain of the Andaman Islands forms a line with the Nicobar Islands (under clouds, top left) along the tectonic margin between the Indian Plate and the Burma Plate. The Andaman Islands experienced a major earthquake of magnitude 9.0 in December 2004.
Related Images
- NASA Earth Observatory (2018, March 19) Lake Darodzan in Sunglint.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2017, January 9) Sunglint on Lake Titicaca.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2016, December 5) Ibera Wetlands in Sunglint.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2014, September 11) The Science of Sunglint.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2006, June 12) Sunglint Features, Lake Erie, United States.
