The far western edge of the Taklamakan Desert meets the Pamir Mountains in China

iss074e0316083 (Feb. 18, 2026) --- The far western edge of the Taklamakan Desert—the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert—meets the Pamir Mountains in China, where scorching desert conditions transition to frigid alpine terrain. The International Space Station was orbiting 259 miles above Central Asia when this photograph was taken.