Amazing Earth Photos by Japanese Astronaut Koichi Wakata
The idea of viewing Earth from space intrigues ordinary people. With his photography from the International Space Station, Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has fulfilled the human longing for this observation.
The International Space Station (ISS), which orbits the Earth at a height of roughly 254 miles (409 km), provides a unique vantage point from which to photograph the planet. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently posted a few images of these views on Instagram.
1: The first image is of Lake Baikal in Russia covered in ice. The edge of Earth is highlighted by the blue glow of the atmosphere, contrasting with the darkness of space.
2: Lisbon, Portugal, takes centre stage in this image captured on February 4, 2023. The Tagus river divides the sprawling city of red clay tile roofs that fade into green areas closer inland.
3. In Cairo, Egypt, on February 4, 2023, the city sits on sand-colored ground, and there are details of streets going in and out. Can you spot the pyramids? (Hint: They appear as three partially shadowed squares near the far left of the image where the urban development intersects with the desert landscape.)
This is not the first time Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata has shared something interesting like this. A few days ago, he also captured an image of Abu Dhabi through his lenses.
The Japanese astronaut regularly shares interesting images shot from the ISS on his social media accounts.