Astronaut photo of the Persian Gulf captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on September 26, 2023, while in orbit over Saudi Arabia.
This wide-angle photo gives the impression of seeing the Persian Gulf from about 250 miles up.
An astronaut on board International Space Station He captured this highly tilted photo of the Persian Gulf while in orbit over Saudi Arabia. The Gulf drains into the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz and is part of the borders of eight countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Geography and Geology of the Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf occupies a large depression Tectonic sub-zone between Arabian and Eurasian plates. The collision of these two tectonic plates also created the Zagros Mountains in southern Iran, which can be seen north-northwest of the Persian Gulf.
The image shows a number of cities clustered along the coast that serve as ports for goods moving in and out of the region. A significant amount of shipping within the Persian Gulf carries oil and petroleum products on average 21 million barrels Every day was transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Economic importance and earthly perspective
The photograph provides a unique wide-angle view of Earth as seen by astronauts on the space station. The 28 millimeter focal length of the camera lens gives a perspective similar to that of the human eye, which has an average focal length of 22 to 24 millimeters Based on the physical refraction of light. In this view, the camera's focal length and the astronaut's image framing give the impression of peering down on the planet from about 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
Astronaut photo ISS069-E-92132 was taken on September 26, 2023 with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 28 millimeters. The image was provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observation Facility and the Earth Sciences and Remote Sensing Unit at Johnson Space Center. The picture was taken by an Expedition 69 crew member. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station program supports the observatory as part of the ISS National Observatory, which enables astronauts to take images of Earth that are valuable to scientists and the public and makes those images freely available on the Internet. Kaden Cummings, Jacobs, JETS II Head of Contract NASA– JSC