Have you ever wondered what the Texas Gulf looks like from afar... or more specifically, from space?
Look no further, as NASA has got you covered.
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A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of the Texas Gulf Coast and shared it to social media on March 24.
Check out this NASA photograph of the gulf coast and Austin/San Antonio area taken from aboard the International Space Station! You can read more about it here: https://t.co/poKmsVohIF pic.twitter.com/7LhyshZpPS
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) March 24, 2021
What you see is about the same as what astronauts see, without any help from cameras, telescopes or other tools from the station windows.
According to a news release by NASA, the photo centers on Houston, home to the NASA Johnson Space Center, where astronauts live and train.
If you’re from Texas, or are just a big fan, you can see the Texas coast along with narrow barrier islands that create protective bays between the Gulf of Mexico and the mainland.
According to NASA, the photo was taken on Dec. 25, 2020— Christmas Day— with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a 24-millimeter lens and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.
You can even see parts of the Hill Country in the picture, according to NASA.
“The region marks changes in topography, geology, ecology, and climate from flat and humid coastal wetlands to rocky hills with woodlands— dark green in the image,” NASA said. “The area is known regionally as the Texas Hill Country.”
The image was cropped and digitally enhanced to improve the image’s contrast and the lens artifacts were removed, according to NASA.
The astronaut was a member of the Expedition 64 crew.
You can see other pictures taken by astronauts and cosmonauts by visiting the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
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