An astronaut's view of Ireland and Great Britain - Earth.com

An astronaut's view of Ireland and Great Britain

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a clear shot of Ireland and Great Britain, which was captured by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station. The photograph highlights the contrasting types of land cover on the two islands. 

“Coastal mountains and rough terrain flank the western edge of Ireland, making the peninsulas there appear browner than the more vegetated (green) areas of central Ireland. The central region is composed of plains with bogs and hilly lowlands, largely consisting of assorted forests, agriculture, and pastures. Similar green tones carry over to the western side of Great Britain,” says NASA.

“Many of the tan areas on the eastern side of Great Britain are within a rain shadow created by the uplands and mountains to the west. Weather systems move from west to east, and higher elevation areas on the west receive more rainfall than the lower eastern side. The tan color reflects grasslands where the vegetation was stressed due to high temperatures and drought conditions when this image was taken in summer 2022.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Editor

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