Have you ever wondered what the Gulf of Texas is like from afar … or more specifically, from space?
Look no further, as NASA has covered you.
A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of the Texas Gulf Coast and shared it on social media on March 24th.
What you see is roughly what astronauts see, with no help from cameras, telescopes or other tools from the station windows.
According to a NASA statement, the photo is centered in Houston, home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where astronauts live and train.
If you’re from Texas or just a big fan, you can see the Texas coast along with narrow barrier islands that create protective bays between the Gulf of Mexico and the mainland.
According to NASA, the photo was taken on December 25, 2020, Christmas Day, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a 24mm lens and provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Science Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.
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Parts of the Hill Country can even be seen in the picture, according to NASA.
“The region marks changes in topography, geology, ecology and climate from flat, wet coastal wetlands to rocky hills with forests, dark green in the image,” NASA said. “The area is regionally known as the Texas Hill Country.”
The image was cropped and digitally enhanced to improve image contrast and the lens artifacts were removed, according to NASA.
The astronaut was a member of the expedition’s crew.
You can see other photographs taken by astronauts and cosmonauts by visiting the front door to the astronauts ’earth photograph.
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