This oblique <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronaut" class="extiw" title="en:Astronaut">astronaut</a> photograph from the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station" title="International Space Station">International Space Station</a> (ISS) captures a white-to-grey <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_ash" title="Volcanic ash">ash</a> and steam plume extending westwards from the volcano. Oblique images are taken by astronauts looking out from the ISS at an <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Angles" class="mw-disambig" title="Category:Angles">angle</a>, rather than looking straight downward toward the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> (a perspective called a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir" class="extiw" title="en:Nadir">nadir</a> view), as is common with most remotely sensed data from <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Satellite&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="Satellite (page does not exist)">satellites</a>. An oblique view gives the scene a more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-dimensional_space" class="extiw" title="en:Three-dimensional space">three-dimension quality</a>, and provides a look at the vertical structure of the volcanic plume. While much of the island is covered in green <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetation" class="extiw" title="en:Vegetation">vegetation</a>, grey deposits that include <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Pyroclastic_flow" title="Pyroclastic flow">pyroclastic flows</a> and volcanic mud-flows (<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lahar&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="Lahar (page does not exist)">lahars</a>) are visible extending from the volcano toward the coastline. When compared to its extent in earlier views, the volcanic debris has filled in more of the eastern coastline. Urban areas are visible in the northern and western portions of the island; they are recognizable by linear street patterns and the presence of bright building rooftops. The silver-grey appearance of the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea" title="Caribbean Sea">Caribbean Sea</a> surface is due to sun-glint, which is the mirror-like reflection of <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sunlight" title="Category:Sunlight">sunlight</a> off the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Water" title="Water">water</a> surface back towards the hand-held <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Camera" title="Camera">camera</a> on-board the ISS. The sun-glint highlights surface wave patterns around the island.
Image taken by the NASA Expedition 21 crew
2009-10-19
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=40803">NASA Earth Observatory</a>