Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza - related image preview

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Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza - related image preview

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Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza - related image preview

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Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza

All astronauts are interested in observing unique human footprints from space, and especially those reflecting thousands of years of human activities. The region of the Great Pyramids of Giza—the last remaining wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—is a favorite target. Although the pyramids have been imaged many times before by astronauts, each new image provides a unique look at the archeological monument, depending on the viewing angle from the ISS and the illumination from the sun. In this view, the shadows from afternoon sun provide directional arrows that point east. For scale, the current length of the large pyramid at the base is 227 meters (745 feet), and the height is 137 meters (449 feet).


Astronaut photograph ISS007-E-12915 was taken August 18, 2003 with a Kodak DCS760 digital camera equipped with an 800mm lens and provided by Cynthia A. Evans (Lockheed Martin / Earth Observations Laboratory, Johnson Space Center). The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Published September 7, 2003
Data acquired August 18, 2003

Source:
ISS > Digital Camera
Collection:
Astronaut Photography