Window to Earth

NASA takes lots of pictures from space. Some are taken with cameras on the International Space Station. Some are taken from satellites. Many pictures were taken by astronauts on the space shuttle.

The pictures do not show lines or words like on a map drawing. See what Earth looks like from space.

Island of Hawaii, USA An island is a piece of land surrounded by water. Volcanoes created the Hawaiian Islands. › Take a closer look		Great Barrier Reef, Australia The reef forms a green ribbon around the coast of Australia. Tiny sea animals build coral reefs. When they die, they leave their skeletons behind. Over time, the skeletons form reefs. › Take a closer look		Patagonia Glacier, Argentina Glaciers are rivers of ice that move very slowly. They can take a year to move as far as a person can walk in a few minutes. When a piece of a glacier breaks off and floats in the water, it is called an iceberg. › Take a closer look
Manam Volcano, Papua New Guinea A volcano is a vent or a hole in Earth's crust where magma, gases and rocks are pushed out. Magma is melted rock from deep inside Earth. › Take a closer look		Crater Lake, Oregon, USA Crater Lake was made thousands of years ago when part of a volcano caved in. The hole that was left filled with water to make a lake. › Take a closer look		Strait of Gibraltar A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. › Take a closer look
Taklimakan Desert, China A desert is a place that gets very little rainfall. Deserts can be hot or cold. › Take a closer look		Cape Verde Archipelago An archipelago is a group or chain of islands grouped together in a sea or ocean. These islands are off the coast of Africa. › Take a closer look		The Great Lakes, USA and Canada A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides. The Great Lakes are the largest group of fresh water lakes on the planet. › Take a closer look
Niagara Falls, USA and Canada A waterfall is a place in a river where water drops suddenly down to lower ground. Niagara Falls is one of the world's largest waterfalls. › Take a closer look		Man-made Islands, Durrat Al Bahrain Sand dug from the bottom of the Persian Gulf has been sprayed from ships until islands formed. These islands are shaped like fish and crescent moons. › Take a closer look		Peninsula of Italy A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides. › Take a closer look
Upheaval Dome, Utah, USA Upheaval Dome was made when a meteor hit Earth a long time ago. It is found in the Canyonlands National Park of southern Utah. › Take a closer look		Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA A cape is a pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea, ocean, lake or river. › Take a closer look		Nardò Ring, Italy The Nardò Ring is a racecar test track. The track is so big that it can be seen from space. › Take a closer look