Gallery | Volcanoes from space | Kamchatka from the space station
One of the advantages of having astronauts taking pictures from the International Space Station is that they can see objects from an angle. Earth-observing satellites point straight down, so oblique views are rare to non-existant.
In this stunning shot (taken on November 19, 2010) the volcanoes of eastern Kamchatka, Russia, are seen to the northwest from a distance of about 1000 km (600 miles). You can even see the shadows of the volcanoes from the morning Sun.
Many of these volcanoes erupted in the 20th century, though for some it's been a few centuries since they were active. The large body of water is Lake Kronotsky, formed when lava from the Kronotsky volcano (the large symmetric cone in the center) dammed a river.
Image credit: NASA
In this stunning shot (taken on November 19, 2010) the volcanoes of eastern Kamchatka, Russia, are seen to the northwest from a distance of about 1000 km (600 miles). You can even see the shadows of the volcanoes from the morning Sun.
Many of these volcanoes erupted in the 20th century, though for some it's been a few centuries since they were active. The large body of water is Lake Kronotsky, formed when lava from the Kronotsky volcano (the large symmetric cone in the center) dammed a river.
Image credit: NASA
