The Panama Canal: Two Sunlit Views | International Space Station

The Panama Canal: Two Sunlit Views | International Space Station

Sunglint view of The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal in direct sunlight

Astronaut Don Pettit: "Panama Canal with sunglint (1st photo) and without (2nd photo). The Panama Canal is elusive. It is typically shrouded in clouds. Being close to the equator, we only get a near-perpendicular view about once every 10-11 days. Due to the clouds, having a clear canal view only once per mission is the norm."

"I got lucky with this pass and not only photographed the canal but also saw it in sunglint where direct rays from the sun reflect off any water in the frame. In sunglint, the Panama Canal looks like flowing mercury."

Image details: Nikon Z9, Sigma 70-500mm f6.3 lens set at 170mm, 1/20400 sec, ISO 500

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an artificial 82-kilometer (51-mile) waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, cutting across the Isthmus of Panama. It is a conduit for maritime trade.

Expedition 72 Updates:

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Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Suni Williams

Roscosmos (Russia): Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov

NASA: Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

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Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: Oct. 7, 2024

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