|
|
Jerusalem and the Dead Sea,
…
This space radar image shows
…
12/21/95
| Date |
12/21/95 |
| Description |
This space radar image shows the area surrounding the Dead Sea along the West Bank between Israel and Jordan. This region is of major cultural and historical importance to millions of Muslims, Jews and Christians who consider it the Holy Land. The yellow area at the top of the image is the city of Jericho. A portion of the Dead Sea is shown as the large black area at the top right side of the image. The Jordan River is the white line at the top of the image which flows into the Dead Sea. Jerusalem, which lies in the Judaean Hill Country, is the bright, yellowish area shown along the left center of the image. Just below and to the right of Jerusalem is the town of Bethlehem. The city of Hebron is the white, yellowish area near the bottom of the image. The area around Jerusalem has a history of more than 2,000 years of settlement and scientists are hoping to use these data to unveil more about this region's past. The Jordan River Valley is part of an active fault and rift system that extends from southern Turkey and connects with the east African rift zone. This fault system has produced major earthquakes throughout history and some scientists theorize that an earthquake may have caused the fall of Jericho's walls. The Dead Sea basin is formed by active earthquake faulting and contains the lowest place on the Earth's surface at about 400 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level. It was in caves along the northern shore of the Dead Sea that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. The blue and green areas are generally regions of undeveloped hills and the dark green areas are the smooth lowlands of the Jordan River Valley. This image is 73 kilometers by 45 kilometers (45 miles by 28 miles) and is centered at 31.7 degrees north latitude, 35.4 degrees east longitude. North is toward the upper left. The colors are assigned to different radar frequencies and polarizations as follows: red is L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received, green is L-band, horizontally transmitted and horizontally received, and blue is C-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received. The image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) on October 3, 1994 onboard the space shuttle Endeavour. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. Each flight of SIR-C/X-SAR collected data at more than 400 sites around the globe. The science team is using images like this one to help answer various scientific questions about the condition of ecosystems, the extent of snow and ice packs, geologic activity such as volcanoes and earthquakes, and measurement of ocean waves and currents. ##### |
|
Eclipsed Earth
| title |
Eclipsed Earth |
| date |
03.29.2006 |
| description |
The shadow of the moon falls on Earth as seen from the International Space Station, 230 miles above the planet, during a total solar eclipse at about 4:50 a.m. EST March 29. This digital photo was taken by the Expedition 12 crew, who are wrapping up a six-month mission on the ISS. Visible near the shadow are portions of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea and the coast of Turkey. *Credit:* NASA |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Landsat Witnesses the Destru
…
| Title |
Landsat Witnesses the Destruction of Mesopotamian Ecosystem |
| Abstract |
In one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time, the ancient marshlands of Mesopotamia are systematically being converted to dry salt flats as a result of human mismanagement of the region's water resources. Landsat satellite imagery reveals that in the last 10 years, wetlands that once covered as much as 20,000 square km in parts of Iraq and Iran have been reduced to a small fraction of their original size. The authors of a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the 11th Stockholm Water Symposium on August 13, 2001, warn that the marshlands could completely disappear within the next 3-5 years unless dramatic steps are taken immediately to reverse the damage being done. The UNEP Executive Director described the wetlands' condition as 'a major environmental catastrophe that will be remembered as one of humanity's worst engineered disasters.' He noted that 'the tragic loss of this rare wetland has occurred in approximately the same period since world leaders pledged to safeguard the environment at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.' Regarded by historians as one of the cradles of civilization, the Mesopotamian Fertile Crescent has supported Marsh Arab society for millennia. But through the damming and siphoning off of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have decimated the ecosystem and, with it, a culture rooted in the dawn of human history (dating back to ancient Sumeria about 5,000 years ago). |
| Completed |
2000-08-14 |
|
Flyover of Istanbul
| Title |
Flyover of Istanbul |
| Completed |
1998-06-05 |
|
Flyover of Istanbul
| Title |
Flyover of Istanbul |
| Completed |
1998-06-05 |
|
Flyover of Istanbul
| Title |
Flyover of Istanbul |
| Completed |
1998-06-05 |
|
Zoom into Istanbul
| Title |
Zoom into Istanbul |
| Completed |
1998-06-05 |
|
Floods in Greece and Turkey
| Title |
Floods in Greece and Turkey |
| Description |
Heavy rain and melting snow combined to swell the rivers of northeastern Greece and northwestern Turkey. On February 22, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the left image of the flooded Evros (also called Meric) and Ergene Rivers. The rivers have expanded from the thin lines seen in January into wide blue ribbons. Water levels on the Evros are at their highest in the past fifty years. The floods are reported to have destroyed thousands of acres of farmland. The images are presented in false color to highlight the presence of water, which is typically camouflaged in the landscape. Here, water is black, and shallow, sediment-laden water is dark blue. Plant-covered areas are bright green, and clouds are light blue and white. Bare earth is tan. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Floods in Greece and Turkey
| Title |
Floods in Greece and Turkey |
| Description |
Heavy rain and melting snow combined to swell the rivers of northeastern Greece and northwestern Turkey. On February 22, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the left image of the flooded Evros (also called Meric) and Ergene Rivers. The rivers have expanded from the thin lines seen in January into wide blue ribbons. Water levels on the Evros are at their highest in the past fifty years. The floods are reported to have destroyed thousands of acres of farmland. The images are presented in false color to highlight the presence of water, which is typically camouflaged in the landscape. Here, water is black, and shallow, sediment-laden water is dark blue. Plant-covered areas are bright green, and clouds are light blue and white. Bare earth is tan. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Floods in Iraq
| Title |
Floods in Iraq |
| Description |
The Tigris River winds its way from its birthplace in the mountains of eastern Turkey through Iraq to the Shatt al Arab and the Persian Gulf. Fed by mountain snow and rainfall, the river is prone to springtime flooding, and this year is no exception. On March 16, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Tigris River. The river, which cut a thin blue line across the Iraqi landscape on February 27, has swollen across its flood plain by March 16. The primary cause of these floods is heavy rainfall. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Both images are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Iraq ]. |
|
Floods in Iraq
| Title |
Floods in Iraq |
| Description |
The Tigris River winds its way from its birthplace in the mountains of eastern Turkey through Iraq to the Shatt al Arab and the Persian Gulf. Fed by mountain snow and rainfall, the river is prone to springtime flooding, and this year is no exception. On March 16, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Tigris River. The river, which cut a thin blue line across the Iraqi landscape on February 27, has swollen across its flood plain by March 16. The primary cause of these floods is heavy rainfall. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Both images are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Iraq ]. |
|
Floods in Iraq
| Title |
Floods in Iraq |
| Description |
The Tigris River winds its way from its birthplace in the mountains of eastern Turkey through Iraq to the Shatt al Arab and the Persian Gulf. Fed by mountain snow and rainfall, the river is prone to springtime flooding, and this year is no exception. On March 16, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Tigris River. The river, which cut a thin blue line across the Iraqi landscape on February 27, has swollen across its flood plain by March 16. The primary cause of these floods is heavy rainfall. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Both images are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Iraq ]. |
|
Floods in Southeastern Europ
…
| Title |
Floods in Southeastern Europe |
| Description |
Rain and melting snow combined to push the Evros (Meric) River over its banks in March 2006. The river, which forms the border between Turkey and Greece, is lined by fertile agricultural land, much of which was inundated in the floods. Though springtime flooding is common along the river, the floods of 2006 have been the worst in 15 years, reported Reuters. The floods had receded somewhat when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on March 20, but flooding is still evident in contrast to March 3, lower image. Part of the reason for the flooding is also evident in the comparison between the two images. On March 3, snow (pale blue in this image) covered the area around the river, but by March 20, the snow had disappeared. The large images provided above have a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_3_03 ] of southeastern Europe are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Southeastern Europ
…
| Title |
Floods in Southeastern Europe |
| Description |
Rain and melting snow combined to push the Evros (Meric) River over its banks in March 2006. The river, which forms the border between Turkey and Greece, is lined by fertile agricultural land, much of which was inundated in the floods. Though springtime flooding is common along the river, the floods of 2006 have been the worst in 15 years, reported Reuters. The floods had receded somewhat when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on March 20, but flooding is still evident in contrast to March 3, lower image. Part of the reason for the flooding is also evident in the comparison between the two images. On March 3, snow (pale blue in this image) covered the area around the river, but by March 20, the snow had disappeared. The large images provided above have a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_3_03 ] of southeastern Europe are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Black Sea Becomes Turquoise
| Title |
Black Sea Becomes Turquoise |
| Description |
This true-color image shows bright, turquoise-colored swirls across the surface of the Black Sea, signifying the presence of a large phytoplankton bloom. Scientists have observed similar blooms recurring annually, roughly this same time of year. The Sea of Azov, which is the smaller body of water located just north of the Black Sea in this image, also shows a high level of color variance. The brownish pixels in the Azov are probably due to sediments carried in from high waters and snowmelt from upstream. This scene was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, on May 14, 2002. According to the Black Sea Environment Programme?s Marine Hydrophysical Institute [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www.grid.unep.ch/bsein/index.html ], the Black Sea is ?one of the marine areas of the world most damaged by human activities.? The coastal zone around these Eastern European inland water bodies is densely populated?supporting a permanent population of roughly 16 million people and another 4 million tourists each year. Six countries border with the Black Sea, including Ukraine to the north, Russia and Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west. Because it is isolated from the world?s oceans, and because there is an extensive drainage network of rivers that empty into it, the Black Sea has a unique and delicate water balance which is very important for supporting its marine ecosystem. Of particular concern to scientists is the salinity, water level, and nutrient levels of the Black Sea?s waters, all of which are, unfortunately, being impacted by human activities. Within the last three decades the combination of increased nutrient loads from human sources together with pollution and over-harvesting of fisheries has resulted in a sharp decline in water quality. Scientists from each of the Black Sea?s bordering nations are currently working together to study the issues and formulate a joint, international strategy for saving this unique marine ecosystem. Working with a spirit of placing more emphasis on joint ownership of the Black Sea?s resources, and less emphasis on blame, it is hoped that the cooperating countries can strike an effective balance between both enjoying and preserving the Black Sea. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Floods in Turkey
| Title |
Floods in Turkey |
| Description |
The swollen rivers of Western Turkey cut dark blue ribbons across the brilliant green landscape of this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image. Starting on January 22, 2004, a rare winter storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=11924 ] blanketed Western Turkey with snow. The equivalent of a month?s precipitation fell around Istanbul in just 24 hours. By February 7, when the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired this image, most of the snow had melted, filling the rivers that flow into the Aegean Sea. The Meric (Evros) River in the top left corner, and the Menderes River in the bottom third of the image seem particularly full. Only patches of snow, which appear light blue in this image, remain in the higher elevations. The high resolution image above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004038-0207/Turkey.A2004038.1110.721 ], including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Floods in Turkey
| Title |
Floods in Turkey |
| Description |
In the five days that passed between March 10 and March 15, 2006, the Büyük Menderes River in western Turkey overflowed with spring run-off. A light rain fell over the region in the days between the acquisition of these two images, but most of the flood water seen here has probably come from snow melting on the Anatolian Plateau (outside the image area to the right), where the river has its origins. A little snow, pale blue in the false-color images, was visible on both March 10 and March 15, though clouds mask the snow extent on March 15, making it impossible to tell how much snow has melted near the river. The flood hides the meandering curves of the river. The term "meander" actually comes from the twists and turns on this section of the Büyük Menderes, which was called "Maeander" anciently. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites captured these images. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_3_03 ] of western Turkey are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Turkey
| Title |
Floods in Turkey |
| Description |
In the five days that passed between March 10 and March 15, 2006, the Büyük Menderes River in western Turkey overflowed with spring run-off. A light rain fell over the region in the days between the acquisition of these two images, but most of the flood water seen here has probably come from snow melting on the Anatolian Plateau (outside the image area to the right), where the river has its origins. A little snow, pale blue in the false-color images, was visible on both March 10 and March 15, though clouds mask the snow extent on March 15, making it impossible to tell how much snow has melted near the river. The flood hides the meandering curves of the river. The term "meander" actually comes from the twists and turns on this section of the Büyük Menderes, which was called "Maeander" anciently. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites captured these images. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_3_03 ] of western Turkey are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Turkey, Greece, Bu
…
| Title |
Floods in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria |
| Description |
Days of heavy rain triggered floods across parts of western Turkey, eastern Greece, and southeastern Bulgaria in November 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods in the border region of the three countries on November 22. The Evros River, called the Meriç River in Turkey, flows from Bulgaria south along the border between Turkey and Greece and into the Aegean Sea. Normally visible only by the strip of green that lines the river's banks, the river paints a wide blue line along the border. Flowing into the Evros/Meriç from the east, the Ergene River is similarly flooded, as are a number of other tributaries, including the Ardas. Both the November 22 image and the November 9 image (provided to show the rivers under normal conditions) were made with a combination of visible and infrared light. This combination allows water, even murky flood water, to stand out from the land. Water is black, though in this case, mud colors the water blue. Reminders of the storm that caused the floods, white and pale blue clouds are scattered over the flood scene. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. The bare rocks of the mountainous landscape were brick red on November 9, but at least partly covered over by plants by November 22. Hundreds of homes and businesses flooded in the Evros region of Greece, forcing the evacuation of two villages, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] Outside of the area shown in this image, additional flooding inundated the cities of Bodrum and Marmaris in western Turkey and the Montana region of Bulgaria.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/fas/?Europe_3_03/2007326 ] of Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Gallipoli and Dardanelles St
…
| Title |
Gallipoli and Dardanelles Strait, Turkey |
| Description |
The city of Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish) sits at a crossroads between the Marmara and Aegean Seas, connected by the Dardanelles Strait. The strait is a 61-kilometer-long drowned valley formed along a fault (fracture in Earth's crust). The fracture formed as the Arabian, Indian, and African tectonic plates collided with the Eurasian plate during the Tertiary period, approximately 2-65 million years ago. This faulting created the rugged terrain of western Turkey visible in the lower half of this astronaut photograph, as well as the great mountain ranges of the Alps and Himalayas. Plate collision continues today as Turkey moves westward in relation to Eurasia. The movement leads to frequent strike-slip earthquakes (quakes in which the relative ground motion along the fault is forward or backward, rather than up or down.) The urbanized area of modern Gallipoli is visible as a light gray to pink region at the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. Water in the Strait flows in both northeast and southwest directions due to opposite surface and undercurrents. The Strait has a long history of strategic importance as it provides a conduit between the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as access to Istanbul to the northeast (not shown). Several ships are visible in the Strait to the southwest of Gallipoli (image center left). The Battle of Gallipolipart of an Allied plan to capture Istanbul, then the capital of the Ottoman Empirewas fought near the city during World War I. Astronaut photograph ISS014-E-8138 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS014&roll=E&frame=8138 ] was acquired November 9, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using an 180 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov ] |
|
Dust Shrouds the Eastern Med
…
| Title |
Dust Shrouds the Eastern Mediterranean |
| Description |
On October 18, 2002, a large dust plume extended across countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Information on the horizontal and vertical extent of the dust are provided by these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The left-hand panel portrays the scene as viewed by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. Here only some of the dust over eastern Syria and southeastern Turkey can be discerned. The dust is much more obvious in the center panel, which is a view from MISR's most steeply forward-looking camera. In addition, this perspective makes shadows cast by clouds onto the dust layer more apparent, providing a visual clue that the dust is at a lower altitude than these clouds. The right-hand panel is an elevation field derived from automated MISR stereoscopic processing, in which the heights of clouds and certain parts of the dust plume are retrieved. Because the stereoscopic approach makes use of features within the images that exhibit spatial contrast, heights for much of the dust plume (as well as the ocean surface) could not be retrieved, and these areas are shown in dark gray. Clouds within the image area are situated between about 2 and 5.5 kilometers above sea level, and the dust is located below most of the cloud, at heights of about 1.5 kilometers or less. When the stereo retrieval determines that a location is at a near-surface altitude, digital terrain elevation data are displayed instead. The highest clouds in this scene appear as the orange and red areas, and mountainous regions are displayed in light blue and green. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 15072. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 827 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 58 to 65 within World Reference System-2 path 174. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet Propulsion Laboratory). |
|
Dust Shrouds the Eastern Med
…
| Title |
Dust Shrouds the Eastern Mediterranean |
| Description |
On October 18, 2002, a large dust plume extended across countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Information on the horizontal and vertical extent of the dust are provided by these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The left-hand panel portrays the scene as viewed by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. Here only some of the dust over eastern Syria and southeastern Turkey can be discerned. The dust is much more obvious in the center panel, which is a view from MISR's most steeply forward-looking camera. In addition, this perspective makes shadows cast by clouds onto the dust layer more apparent, providing a visual clue that the dust is at a lower altitude than these clouds. The right-hand panel is an elevation field derived from automated MISR stereoscopic processing, in which the heights of clouds and certain parts of the dust plume are retrieved. Because the stereoscopic approach makes use of features within the images that exhibit spatial contrast, heights for much of the dust plume (as well as the ocean surface) could not be retrieved, and these areas are shown in dark gray. Clouds within the image area are situated between about 2 and 5.5 kilometers above sea level, and the dust is located below most of the cloud, at heights of about 1.5 kilometers or less. When the stereo retrieval determines that a location is at a near-surface altitude, digital terrain elevation data are displayed instead. The highest clouds in this scene appear as the orange and red areas, and mountainous regions are displayed in light blue and green. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 15072. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 827 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 58 to 65 within World Reference System-2 path 174. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet Propulsion Laboratory). |
|
Dust Storm out of Northern A
…
| Title |
Dust Storm out of Northern Africa |
| Description |
A thick streamer of pale dust sweeps across the Mediterranean Sea in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on March 20, 2007. The dust casts a thin beige veil over the lush green vegetation lining the banks of Egypt's Nile River and its fan-shaped delta. The river of dust passes by the island of Crete (left edge) and reaches the shores of Turkey (top). NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Dust Storm over Syria, Turke
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over Syria, Turkey, and Iraq |
| Description |
On May 13, 2007, a dust storm formed over the borders of Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows a beige dust plume, thick in the west where it is partially obscured by clouds, and thinner in the east. Besides the dust and clouds overhead, the image shows some details of the underlying landscape, including the relative greenness of Turkey compared to its arid neighbors. The image also shows the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of the dust storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/May2007/syria_tmo_2007133.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Dust Storm over the Mediterr
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Mediterranean Sea |
| Description |
The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) observed this large cloud of dust (brownish pixels) blowing from northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea on March 4, 2002. The dust can be seen clearly blowing across Southern Italy, Albania, Greece, and Turkey?all along the Mediterranean?s northeastern shoreline. Notice that there also appears to be human-made aerosol pollution (greyish pixels) pooling in the air just south of the Italian Alps and blowing southeastward over the Adriatic Sea. The Alps can be easily identified as the crescent-shaped, snow-capped mountain range in the top center of this true-color scene. There also appears to be a similar haze over Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia to the north and east of Italy. SeaWiFS image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
|
Dust storms out of Egypt
| Title |
Dust storms out of Egypt |
| Description |
For the second day in a row, dust blew out of the Great Sand Sea and other deserts in northern Egypt, veiling the green triangle of the Nile Delta with plumes of dust. A thick plume more than 100 kilometers wide crosses the Mediterranean Sea to the north, reaching the coast of Turkey (upper right). This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on January 30, 2005. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Dust storms out of Egypt
| Title |
Dust storms out of Egypt |
| Description |
The deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea were shrouded in dust from North African deserts on January 29, 2005. A dusty haze stretches across the center and top parts of the scene from the Gulf of Sirte (left center edge), past the Nile Delta (right of center), all the way to Turkey (top right). The Red Sea (lower right corner) appears to be dust free. Between the knob of land in Libya just east of the Gulf of Sirte and the green fan of the Nile Delta lies a large desert called the Great Sand Sea. Dust storms are a serious natural hazard in the region, particularly for aircraft. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Snow in Iran
| Title |
Snow in Iran |
| Description |
Heavy snow settled over Iran on January 23, 2005, closing roads and isolating many northern villages. The snow fell heaviest in the northern Zagros Mountains, where as much as 75 cm (32 inches) fell in a single night, but the white extends south along the spine of the mountains almost to the Persian Gulf. The snow also covers the Alborz range in the northeast. Located along the southern front of the Alborz mountains, Iran?s capital, Tehran, was also blanketed with snow. This true-color image of the snow-covered region was acquired on January 26, after the clouds had largely cleared from the region. It appears that the snow extends across the border into Turkey and northern Iraq, though clouds make it difficult to see the extent of the snow cover in Turkey. The same weather system that brought snow to Iran also triggered a massive dust storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12690 ] in the Persian Gulf states. Dust from the storm settled on the snow in western Iran, near the Iraqi border, giving the snow-covered mountains a slightly tan tint. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Snow in Turkey
| Title |
Snow in Turkey |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this usual view of Turkey nearly completely covered in snow on January 29, 2006. The Mediterranean nation usually enjoys mild, wet winters, with snow confined to the mountainous interior, but January 2006 brought unusual weather to much of Asia and Europe. A strong jet stream channeled Arctic air south, leaving Europe and Asia in a deep freeze. The cold air also meant that any moisture that fell came in the form of snow. According to news reports, the snow caused havoc on roads throughout Turkey. The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Storms in the Eastern Medite
…
| Title |
Storms in the Eastern Mediterranean |
| Description |
Heavy snow caused chaos in the usually temperate Eastern Mediterranean starting on January 22, 2004 and continuing through January 25. Powerful storms swept through Greece, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and Turkey. Snow fell in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, and parts of Italy, including Rome. The hardest hit by the storm was Turkey, where the weather has been blamed for 12 deaths, including those of two boys who froze to death traveling between home and school. The storm closed roads and knocked out power throughout much of the Eastern Mediterranean. As the clouds moved out of the area on January 27, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite caught this unusual image of Western Turkey covered in snow. Local media reports say that Istanbul received the equivalent of a month?s precipitation in 24 hours. The high-resolution image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004027-0127/Turkey.A2004027.1125 ], including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in the Balkans
| Title |
Fires in the Balkans |
| Description |
Scattered fires (red dots) were detected across the Balkans on March 26, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite. Countries shown include Italy (left center edge), Greece (below center), and Turkey (right edge). At upper right is the Black Sea, at center is the Aegean Sea, at upper left is the Adriatic Sea, and at bottom left is the Mediterranean Sea. North of Turkey are Bulgaria and Romania. Moving clockwise from top left are Croatia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, and Albania. The bounded area to the north of Albania is now part of Yugoslavia. North is Bosnia-Herzegovina. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Turkey's Adana Regi
…
| Title |
Fires in Turkey's Adana Region |
| Description |
Dozens of fires were detected in the Adana region of Turkey on June 15, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite. The fires have been marked with red dots in this true-color image. The Adana region is a low-lying coastal area ringed by the Taurus Mountains to the north and the Nur Mountains, covered in green vegetation, to the east. Because this region is one of the most agriculturally productive in the whole country, it is likely these fires are being used in for agricultural activities such as land clearing. At bottom right is Syria. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Turkey's Adana Regi
…
| Title |
Fires in Turkey's Adana Region |
| Description |
In the Adana (northwest half of image) and Hatay (southeast half) regions of Turkey, a few scattered fires (red dots) were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on June 6, 2003. These regions are extensively cultivated for agriculture, including wheat, barley, and cotton, and so the fires are likely agricultural in purpose. Left of center, a gray smudge shows the location of the city of Adana, while the other group of fires roughly circles the city of Antakya (also known as Antioch). At bottom left is the Mediterranean Sea, at bottom right is Syria. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Turkey's Adana Regi
…
| Title |
Fires in Turkey's Adana Region |
| Description |
In the Adana region of Turkey, many fires continue to burn. The fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on June 18, 2003, and are marked with red dots in this image. In the high-resolution image, dark brown burn scars are visible around the fires. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Turkey's Adana Regi
…
| Title |
Fires in Turkey's Adana Region |
| Description |
In the Adana region of Turkey, many fires continue to burn. The fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on June 25, 2003, and are marked with red dots in this image. In the high-resolution image, dark brown burn scars are visible around the fires. Geolocation and image creation by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, based on data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Total Solar Eclipse over Afr
…
| Title |
Total Solar Eclipse over Africa and the Mediterranean |
| Description |
The International Space Station (ISS) was in position to view the umbral (ground) shadow cast by the Moon as it moved between the Sun and the Earth during the solar eclipse on March 29, 2006. This astronaut image captures the umbral shadow across southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea. People living in these regions observed a total solar eclipse, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17228 ] in which the Moon completely covers the Sun's disk. The astronaut photograph was taken at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time. The terminator of the eclipsethe line between the light and dark parts of the Sun's disk is visible as it passes across central Turkey. This total solar eclipse is the fourth to have occurred since 1999. The portion of the ISS visible at image top is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System. [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/elements/mss/index.html ] Astronaut photograph ISS012-E-21351 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=21351 ] was acquired March 29, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 35 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
Venus and Comet Pojmanski
| Title |
Venus and Comet Pojmanski |
| Explanation |
Shining brightly in the east at dawn, Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060201.html ] dominates the sky in this view over a suburban landscape from Bursa, Turkey. An otherwise familiar scene for astronomer Tunc Tezel, his composite picture of the morning sky recorded on March 2nd also includes a surprise visitor to the inner solar system, Comet [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/comets/ comets.html&edu=high ] Pojmanski. Cataloged as C/2006 A1 [ http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2006A1/ 2006A1.html ], the comet was discovered on January 2nd by Grzegorz Pojmanski of Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory [ http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/ ] in Poland. At the time very faint [ http://www.aerith.net/pictures/comet.html#2006A1 ] and tracking through southern skies [ http://www.yp-connect.net/~mmatti/ ], the comet has now moved north and grown just bright enough to be a good target for early-rising [ http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2006/02/ hunting-comet-pojmanski.html ] skygazers with binoculars. Enhanced and framed in this picture, the comet's tail [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000413.html ] has also grown to a length of several degrees. The comet will be at its closest approach to planet Earth, just over 100 million kilometers away, on March 5. For northern hemisphere observers in the next few days, the beginning of morning twilight really will be the best time to spot Comet Pojmanski [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/ article_1684_1.asp ]. |
|
The Crown of the Sun
| Title |
The Crown of the Sun |
| Explanation |
During [ http://www.phy6.org/Education/wcorona.html ] a total solar eclipse, the Sun's [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/sol.html ] extensive outer atmosphere or corona is an awesome [ http://www.pbase.com/gbachmayer/tse2006 ] and inspirational sight. The subtle shades and shimmering features of the corona that engage [ http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2006/locations/coronagraph.php ] the eye span a brightness range of over 10,000 to 1, making them notoriously difficult to capture in a single picture. But this composite of 33 digital images ranging in exposure time from 1/8000 to 1/5 second comes very close to revealing the crown [ http://www.sunblock99.org.uk/sb99/people/ MLyons/crown.html ] of the Sun in all its glory. The telescopic views [ http://users.skynet.be/vangorp/events/eclipse_2006.html ] were recorded from Side, Turkey during the March 29 solar eclipse, a geocentric [ http://www.synner.ath.cx/astro/eclipse06.html ] celestial event that [ http://uranoscope.free.fr/v1/ l_uranoscopedel_iledefrance_animations_missions_egyptetse0603.htm ] was widely seen [ http://vjac.free.fr/eclipses/290306.html ] under nearly ideal [ http://photoastronomique.net/galerie_us.php?id=12 ] conditions. The composite also captures a pinkish prominence extending just beyond the upper edge of the eclipsed [ http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c1d0.htm ] sun. |
|
Vanishing Umbra
| Title |
Vanishing Umbra |
| Explanation |
During the March 29 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/ TSE2006.html ] total solar eclipse, the Moon's dark central shadow or umbra [ http://www.inconstantmoon.com/cyc_ecl1.htm ] is vanishing beyond the horizon in this dramatic view [ http://www.stephan-heinsius.de/ sonnenfinsternis2006.html ] of the landscape a few kilometers southeast of Incesu, Anatolia, Turkey. The large, snow covered mountain in the distance is 3,250 meter high volcano Hasan Dag [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanology ]. The foreground is growing brighter as eclipse watchers are just beginning to see rays of sunlight peek around [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060330.html ] the lunar limb, while the mountains on the horizon, left of Hasan Dag, are still completely shadowed by [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030106.html ] the Moon. For the watchers along this part of the shadow track [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/ TSE2006fig/TSE2006-fig03b.GIF ], the total phase of the eclipse lasted less than 4 minutes as the umbra raced [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021209.html ] over them at more than 3,000 kilometers per hour. |
|
A Total Solar Eclipse over T
…
| Title |
A Total Solar Eclipse over Turkey |
| Explanation |
Some views [ http://spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_29mar06.htm ] of last week's total eclipse [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_eclipse ] of the Sun were better than others. One spectacular view [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060331.html ] occurred over Adrasan (near Antalya [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antalya ]), Turkey [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey ] and was captured there by industrious astrophotographer Stefan Seip. The above digital mosaic [ http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/sun/060329sofi_d1024.htm ] caught the Moon in several stages as it moved between the Earth and the Sun. During the center frame, a total solar eclipse [ http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html ] was visible, the Moon completely blocked the Sun, the area became dark, and the magnificent corona [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010408.html ] of the Sun became visible. The foreground frame from the same location was taken during sunlight. The next total eclipse [ http://mreclipse.com/Special/SEnext.html ] of the Sun will occur in August 2008 and be visible from parts of North America [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/reference_maps/north_america.html ], Europe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030324.html ], and Asia [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia ]. |
|
1006 AD: Supernova in the Sk
…
| Title |
1006 AD: Supernova in the Sky |
| Explanation |
A new star, likely the brightest supernova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030317.html ] in recorded human history [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw_sn.html ], appeared in planet Earth's sky about 1,000 years ago today, in 1006 AD. The expanding debris cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051226.html ] from the stellar explosion is still visible to modern [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001202.html ] astronomers, but what did the supernova look like in 1006? In celebration of the millennial anniversary of SN1006, astronomer Tunc Tezel offers this intriguing suggestion, based on a photograph he took on February 22, 1998 from a site overlooking the Mediterranean [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011207.html ] south of Antalya, Turkey. On that date, bright Venus and a waning crescent Moon shone in [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020619.html ] the early morning sky. Adopting calculations [ http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0208415 ] which put the supernova's apparent brightness [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/press/pr03/pr0304.html ] between Venus and the crescent Moon, he digitally superposed an appropriate new star in the picture. He placed the star at the supernova's position in the southerly constellation of Lupus [ http://www.seasky.org/pictures/ sky7b06.html#Lupus ] and used the water's reflection of moonlight [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021122.html ] in the final image. |
|
Moon And Venus Share The Sky
| Title |
Moon And Venus Share The Sky |
| Explanation |
July is drawing to a close and in the past few days, some early morning risers [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990714.html ] could have looked east and seen a crescent Moon sharing the pre-dawn [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast25jul_1m.htm ] skies with planets Jupiter and Saturn. Planet Mercury will also pass about 2 degrees from the thin waning crescent Moon [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/faq/docs/moon_phases.html ] just before sunrise near the eastern horizon on Saturday, July 29. And finally, on the evening of July 31st, Venus will take its turn near the crescent Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991108.html ]. But this time it will be a day-old crescent Moon near the western horizon, shortly after sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000507.html ]. In fact [ http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/JoeAlmanac2000.html ], on July 31 (August 1 Universal Time) the Moon will occult [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/occultations/lunar/ 0001lunarocc.html ] (pass in front of) Venus for northwestern observers [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/images2000/ 0008moonvenus_big.jpg ] in North America. This telescopic picture taken on 31 December 1997, shows a lovely young crescent Moon and brilliant crescent Venus in [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990903.html ] the early evening sky near Bursa, Turkey [ http://www.mersina.com/Turkey/Marmara/Bursa/index.html ]. And what about the Sun? On Sunday, July 30, a partial eclipse of the Sun [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/ PSE2000Jul31.html ] will be visible from some locations [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/ PSE2000Jul.gif ] in North America. |
|
Orionid Meteors Over Turkey
| Title |
Orionid Meteors Over Turkey |
| Explanation |
Meteors have been flowing out from the constellation Orion. This was expected, as mid-October is the time of year for the Orionids Meteor Shower [ http://www.serve.com/wh6ef/comets/meteors/showers/orionidobs.html ]. Pictured above, over a dozen meteors were caught in successively added exposures over three hours taken this past weekend from a town near Bursa [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bursa%2C_Turkey ], Turkey [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey ]. The above image shows brilliant multiple meteor streaks [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031116.html ] that can all be connected to a single point in the sky just above the belt of Orion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040304.html ], called the radiant [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/meteors/showers.html ]. The Orionids [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orionids ] meteors started as sand sized bits expelled from Comet Halley [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000805.html ] during one of its trips to the inner Solar System. Comet Halley is actually responsible for two known meteor showers [ http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html ], the other known as the Eta Aquarids and visible every May. Next month, the Leonids Meteor Shower [ http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/2006/info2006.html ] from Comet Tempel-Tuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021116.html ] might show an even more impressive shower from some locations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020602.html ]. |
|
Three Planets in Dawn Skies
| Title |
Three Planets in Dawn Skies |
| Explanation |
Three children of the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061116.html ] rise in the east in this peaceful dawn skyview recorded December 7th near Bolu, Turkey. Inner planet Mercury [ http://kids.nineplanets.org/mercury.htm ], fresh from its second transit [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061114.html ] of the 21st century, stands highest in the bright sky at the top right. Gas giant Jupiter [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ jupiterfact.html ] lies below the cloud bank near picture center. A newsworthy Mars [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/ mgs-20061206.html ] is also visible, right of Jupiter and just above the dark cloud bank. On Sunday, these planets will form a much tighter grouping [ http://skytonight.com/observing/ataglance ] before sunrise [ http://niteskys.com/mercury_mars_jupiter_120806.html ], while in the coming days the western sky after sunset will be ruled by brilliant planet Venus [ http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/ ], also known as the evening star. |
|
2001: A Total Lunar Eclipse
| Title |
2001: A Total Lunar Eclipse |
| Explanation |
The first and only total lunar eclipse for the year 2001 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2001.html ] occured on the evening of January 9/10 as the full Moon glided through Earth's shadow. Unlike [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970827.html ] a total solar eclipse, a total lunar eclipse is visible for anyone on the night side [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html ] of the planet during the event. The night side for this geocentric celestial event [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010104.html ] included Europe, Asia, and Africa where the Moon [ http://www.lunaroutreach.org/ ] could be seen immersed in the umbra or dark portion of Earth's shadow for about 62 minutes as it passed just north [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/TLE010109/ TLE2001Jan09-GMT.GIF ] of the shadow's center. This dramatic telescopic photo of [ http://www.MrEclipse.com/MrEclipse.html ] the eclipsed Moon was made near Ankara, Turkey close to the time of midpoint of the total phase. The fact that the northern (top) portion of the eclipsed Moon is clearly brighter, even near mid-totality, demonstrates that Earth's shadow is not uniformly dark. |
|
|
