Earth from Space - Image Description

STS078-736-041 Richmond, Virginia, USA June 1996
The capital city of Virginia, Richmond, is located in the center of the image. Segments of Interstate Highway 95 are visible cutting directly north-south through downtown Richmond. Sections of the James River, especially as it flows through mid-city and even the estuary can be seen further southeast (although the broader estuary is partially obscured by cumulus clouds). The Appomattox River flowing into the James River estuary is visible near the southern edge of the picture, as the river passes two smaller Virginia cities of Petersburg and Hopewell. In rural areas, darker features are mainly forested lands and the lighter colored terrain is either cultivated fields or pasture lands.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.