We are all One, One Energy, from One Light

Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07)

Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 16 crewmember on the International Space Station. Saudi Arabia boasts the most coral reefs of any Middle Eastern country, as it includes coastline along both the Red Sea and Gulf of Arabia. This high resolution image depicts a portion of the Al Wadj Bank, located along the northern Red Sea coast. Despite the relatively high salinity of Red Sea water (compared to other oceans), approximately 260 species of coral are found here, according to scientists. Large tracts of the Saudi Arabian coastline are undeveloped, and reefs in these areas are in generally good ecological health. However, reefs located near large urban centers like Jeddeh have suffered degradation due to land reclamation, pollution, and increased terrigeneous sediment input. The Al Wadj Bank includes a healthy and diverse reef system, extensive seagrass beds, and perhaps the largest population of dugong — a marine mammal similar to the North American manatee — in the eastern Red Sea. The portion of the Bank in this image illustrates the complex form and topography of the reef system. Several emergent islands (tan) - surrounded primarily by dark green seagrass - are visible, the largest located at top left. Only the islands are above the waterline — over the reef structures the water color ranges from light teal (shallow) to turquoise (increasing depth). The southern edge of the reef is well indicated by the deep, dark blue water of the Red Sea at image top.

Image credit: NASA

Plitvice lakes, Croatia

Crescent Moon (NASA, International Space Station Science, 11/03/07)

A crescent moon is visible in this view of Earth’s horizon and atmosphere, photographed by an Expedition 16 crewmember on the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-120) was docked with the station.

Image credit: NASA

Photographer Morkel Erasmus

Crab Nebula: Energy for 100,000 Suns (NASA, Chandra, 11/23/09)

A star’s spectacular death in the constellation Taurus was observed on Earth as the supernova of 1054 A.D. Now, almost a thousand years later, a super dense object — called a neutron star — left behind by the explosion is seen spewing out a blizzard of high-energy particles into the expanding debris field known as the Crab Nebula. X-ray data from Chandra provide significant clues to the workings of this mighty cosmic “generator,” which is producing energy at the rate of 100,000 suns.

This composite image uses data from three of NASA’s Great Observatories. The Chandra X-ray image is shown in blue, the Hubble Space Telescope optical images are in yellow and red, and the Spitzer Space Telescope’s infrared image is in purple. The X-ray image is smaller than the others because extremely energetic electrons emitting X-rays radiate away their energy more quickly than the lower-energy electrons emitting optical and infrared light. Along with many other telescopes, Chandra has repeatedly observed the Crab Nebula over the course of the mission’s lifetime. The Crab Nebula is one of the most studied objects in the sky, truly making it a cosmic icon.

Detail: Crescent Moon, Earth’s Atmosphere (NASA, International Space Station Science, 09/04/10)

A setting last quarter crescent moon and the thin line of Earth’s atmosphere are photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member as the International Space Station passes over central Asia. 

Image credit: NASA