< STS054-151-19 >
| NASA Photo ID | STS054-151-19 |
| Focal Length | 90mm |
| Date taken | 1993.01.__ |
| Time taken | GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
4529 x 5732 pixels 505 x 639 pixels 640 x 480 pixels 1118 x 1390 pixels
4529 x 5732 pixels 505 x 639 pixels 640 x 480 pixels 1118 x 1390 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point:
Photo center point: 25.0° S, 31.5° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 25.0° S, 31.5° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center:
Spacecraft Altitude: nautical miles (0km)
Country or Geographic Name: | REPUBLIC SOUTH AFRICA |
Features: | TRANSVAAL DRAKENSBERG |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | ° |
Sun Azimuth: | ° |
Camera: | Linhof |
Focal Length: | 90mm |
Camera Tilt: | Low Oblique |
Format: | QX868: Kodak, natural color positive, Ektachrome QX868(5017 emulsion), ASA 64, thin base |
Film Exposure: | Normal |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4529 pixels | 5732 pixels | No | No | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 505 pixels | 639 pixels | No | No | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 640 pixels | 480 pixels | No | No | ISD 1 | Download Image |
| 1118 pixels | 1390 pixels | Download Image |
Download Packaged File
Download a Google Earth KML for this Image
View photo footprint information
No GeoTIFF is available for this photo.Image Caption: STS054-151-019 Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa January 1993
The Drakensberg Mountains near the southeast coast of South Africa form an impressive barrier between the broad, basin-like interior plateau of South Africa and the coastal plains. Part of the great escarpment that extends from southern Zimbabwe in a generally northeast-southwest-trending arc to Cape Town, the Drakensberg Range has been described as dramatically beautiful. This photograph, with an almost 3-dimensional quality, captures a small section of that beauty as the plateau elevation drops to the east in near-vertical escarpments, with the vertical drops looking like a series of downward steps before giving way to rolling grasslands that gradually slope to the Indian Ocean. The complex structure of this range has a thick, underlying series of sandstones formed 180 to 260 million years ago. Approximately 150 million years ago, lava began intruding through fissures in the sandstone rocks, spreading out in enormous horizontal layers. This photograph shows the result of weathering and erosion on the basalt plateau--the mountain terrain carved into jagged peaks separated by deep valleys and ravines. While most of the plateau drains westward, several smaller rivers flow eastward and plunge rapidly down to the Indian Ocean.
The Drakensberg Mountains near the southeast coast of South Africa form an impressive barrier between the broad, basin-like interior plateau of South Africa and the coastal plains. Part of the great escarpment that extends from southern Zimbabwe in a generally northeast-southwest-trending arc to Cape Town, the Drakensberg Range has been described as dramatically beautiful. This photograph, with an almost 3-dimensional quality, captures a small section of that beauty as the plateau elevation drops to the east in near-vertical escarpments, with the vertical drops looking like a series of downward steps before giving way to rolling grasslands that gradually slope to the Indian Ocean. The complex structure of this range has a thick, underlying series of sandstones formed 180 to 260 million years ago. Approximately 150 million years ago, lava began intruding through fissures in the sandstone rocks, spreading out in enormous horizontal layers. This photograph shows the result of weathering and erosion on the basalt plateau--the mountain terrain carved into jagged peaks separated by deep valleys and ravines. While most of the plateau drains westward, several smaller rivers flow eastward and plunge rapidly down to the Indian Ocean.
