Himalayan Horizon From Space
Explanation:
This
stunning aerial view shows the rugged snow covered
peaks of
a Himalayan mountain range in Nepal.
The seventh-highest
peak on the planet, Dhaulagiri,
is the high point
on the horizon at the left while
in the foreground lies the southern Tibetan Plateau of China.
But, contrary to appearances, this picture wasn't taken from
an
airliner cruising at 30,000 feet.
Instead it was taken with a 35mm camera and telephoto lens by the
Expedition 1 crew aboard the
International Space Station --
orbiting 200
nautical
miles above the Earth.
The
Himalayan mountains
were created by crustal
plate tectonics
on
planet Earth
some 70 million years ago, as the Indian plate began a
collision with the Eurasian plate.
Himalayan uplift still continues today at a rate of a
few millimeters per year.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
