Observing #Earth - ISS Expedition 36 በ NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station captured this image of the Strait of Gibraltar, where Europe and Africa meet and where the Atlantic Ocean waters flow through the strait into the Mediterranean Sea. Spain is to the north (top) and Morocco to the south. The strait is 36 miles (58 kilometers) long and slims down to 8 miles (13 kilometers) at it’s most narrow point. The British colony of Gibraltar is north of the strait.
One of the long-standing experiments on the International Space Station is called Crew Earth Observations. The unique vantage point of Earth from space has allowed astronauts to capture some of the most compelling photographs ever seen. They are not only beautiful photographs, but also offer insight into how the planet is changing over time, from human-caused changes like urban growth and reservoir construction, to natural dynamic events such as hurricanes, floods and volcanic eruptions. Crew members have been photographing Earth from space since the early Mercury missions beginning in 1961. The continuous images taken from the space station ensure this record remains unbroken.
In celebration of Earth month, Marshall has posted images on Instagram of our planet beginning with Expedition 1 from 2000 all the way through the current Expedition 47.
To follow NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center on Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nasa_marshall/" rel="nofollow">click here</a>.
Marshall's Flickr will be posting these images this week in further celebration of Earth month. Keep up with all the images by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/albums/72157667443504941"> clicking here</a>.
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