The image above was taken from the International Space Station as it orbits 418 kilometres above the South Pacific Ocean.
This panorama shows the Sun’s glint highlighting Cook Strait, the seaway separating New Zealand’s North and South Islands.
Astronauts looking west towards the setting Sun were able to see this high-contrast detail even though they were 1,000 kilometres away.
Originally published by Cosmos as Astronauts get a rare glimpse of a cloud-free New Zealand
Bill Condie
Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.
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