Astronaut Photography

Bright Beaches in Florida
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Bright Beaches in Florida

The white sands of Florida’s Emerald Coast beaches are primarily comprised of quartz grains from the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Published Nov 19, 2023

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Vibrant Auroras
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Vibrant Auroras

Curtains of colorful light danced across the sky after solar storms sent energized particles crashing into Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Published Nov 10, 2023

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The Red Sea Hills of Sudan
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The Red Sea Hills of Sudan

Ancient geologic processes created a Saharan landscape full of contrasts.

Published Nov 12, 2023

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Volcanic Duo in the Andes Mountains
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Volcanic Duo in the Andes Mountains

The Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes rise like twins along the Chile-Bolivia border, but close inspection reveals distinct differences in their appearance.

Published Nov 5, 2023

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Life Blood of Earth
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Life Blood of Earth

Despite their rusty color, these arteries of water in Bolivia and Madagascar are important for biodiversity.

Published Oct 29, 2023

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A Long View of Mount Etna
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A Long View of Mount Etna

Oblique photographs can provide a unique perspective on the planet’s topographic highs, including Europe’s most active volcano.

Published Oct 20, 2023

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Idaho’s Fields and Flows
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Idaho’s Fields and Flows

A patchwork of farmland along the Snake River abuts a flow of hardened lava.

Published Oct 15, 2023

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Beneath a Desert Moon
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Beneath a Desert Moon

An oblique-angle photo taken from above the Middle East captures the Moon peeking over Earth’s atmospheric limb.

Published Oct 8, 2023

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Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi

Intertidal flats, mangroves, and artificial islands surround the populous capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

Published Oct 3, 2023

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Shebelle River Floodplain
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Shebelle River Floodplain

Southeastern Ethiopia’s longest river supports the growth of green vegetation amid the otherwise brown, desert landscape.

Published Sep 24, 2023

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Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains
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Peru’s Tropical Glaciers and Rainbow Mountains

The icy landscape high in the Andes is dotted with colorful glacial lakes and weathered rock.

Published Sep 17, 2023

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Bolivian Salt Flats
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Bolivian Salt Flats

An otherworldly landscape on a plateau in the Andes provides a natural laboratory for scientists studying Earth and Mars.

Published Sep 10, 2023

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Wyoming and Utah Borderlands
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Wyoming and Utah Borderlands

The Flaming Gorge Reservoir lies within a national recreation area that straddles the two states.

Published Sep 3, 2023

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Hurricane Idalia Moves Inland
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Hurricane Idalia Moves Inland

Cameras on the International Space Station captured oblique photos of the potent storm over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.

Published Aug 31, 2023

Atmosphere Severe Storms

Illuminating the Aleutians
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Illuminating the Aleutians

The aurora borealis and moonglint shine bright in this astronaut photo of the Alaskan island chain.

Published Aug 28, 2023

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Black Mesas and Sand Dunes in Mauritania
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Black Mesas and Sand Dunes in Mauritania

Dunes formed on the slopes of dark mesas in this photo taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station.

Published Aug 13, 2023

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Nighttime in Antalya, Türkiye
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Nighttime in Antalya, Türkiye

Urban infrastructure and natural areas stand in sharp contrast at night on the Mediterranean coast.

Published Jul 30, 2023

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Port Stephens Bay
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Port Stephens Bay

Towns, beaches, bays, and forests are visible along this stretch of the southeast Australian coast.

Published Jul 23, 2023

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On This Day in 2011: Final Hook-Up
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On This Day in 2011: Final Hook-Up

Space Shuttle Atlantis approached the International Space Station for docking for the last time.

Published Jul 10, 2023

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On This Day in 2017: Dunes and Lagoons
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On This Day in 2017: Dunes and Lagoons

Strong winds blowing in from the Western Atlantic sculpt the sand along the coast of southern Brazil into distinctive crescent shapes.

Published Jul 9, 2023

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Linear and Star Dunes
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Linear and Star Dunes

A complex system of dunes displays an array of patterns in the Rub’ al Khali sand sea in southeast Saudi Arabia.

Published Jun 25, 2023

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The Strait of Gibraltar
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The Strait of Gibraltar

At the strait’s narrowest point, only 13 kilometers separate Europe and Africa.

Published Jun 18, 2023

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The Bolivian Lowlands
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The Bolivian Lowlands

The ecoregion displays an array of natural patterns, from meandering rivers to rectangle-shaped lakes.

Published Jun 11, 2023

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Hooked on Cape Cod
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Hooked on Cape Cod

Dunes, ponds, and wildlife habitat are found alongside urban areas on this iconic peninsula in Massachusetts.

Published Jun 4, 2023

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A Foggy Himalayan Morning
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A Foggy Himalayan Morning

Sunrise is an opportune time to photograph fog as it rolls through the mountain range.

Published May 28, 2023

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New Mexico’s White Sands
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New Mexico’s White Sands

A national park and a dune field occupy part of this bright-white desert landscape, which also has ties to the aerospace industry.

Published May 21, 2023

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Dunes Along the Yellow River
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Dunes Along the Yellow River

Dunes, crops, roads, and solar farms flank the river as it winds through China’s Inner Mongolia.

Published May 14, 2023

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Espíritu Santo Archipelago
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Espíritu Santo Archipelago

The island group off Mexico’s Baja California Sur has eroded slowly, preserving evidence of past human activity.

Published May 7, 2023

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Utah’s Dark Canyon Complex
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Utah’s Dark Canyon Complex

Petroglyphs, hanging gardens, and deep canyons make this remote landscape a notable part of Bears Ears National Monument.

Published May 3, 2023

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Mangroves on Eighty Mile Beach
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Mangroves on Eighty Mile Beach

Trees along this stretch of western Australia have an elongated root system that allows them to withstand high and low tides.

Published Apr 30, 2023

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