View looking vertically down on the Earth some 200 miles beneath the International Space Station showing thick cloud banks covering desert terrain below them. Flat plains and mountains can be seen passing, revealing bands of different coloured rocks wrapped around the topography in a geological map. High cirrus cloud are streaked across the scene as the station crosses a coastline with a thin stretch of sandy beach and passes on out into open sea or lake - the brilliant blues and turquoises of the shelving continent clearly visible through the clear water. Striations of cirrus cloud are visible, smeared out into streaks by high altitude winds. Thick cloud decks come into view hugging the coast line to the right of the view. Passing over another coast line we cross over more rugged, darker terrain covered by thick clouds on the left hand side of the frame. Further one more open sea or lake passes again - still partially obscured by thick cloud. A few islands and inlets are visible in this second coast line and a strong sunlight gleams brightly off the water. |