Earth from Space - Image Description

STS081-720-023 Lake Corangamite, Victoria, Australia January 1997
The area included in this synoptic, westerly view of southwest Victoria shows vegetated hills and mountains (dark features), extensive plains (lighter-colored areas), and several lakes (lower left quadrant). The large lake is Lake Corangamite, the largest salt lake in Victoria and also the largest permanent inland lake in Australia. The Grampian range of mountains (larger dark region near center), dating back over 400 million years, provides a dramatic contrast to the flat plains that surround the Grampians. These sandstone mountains are characterized by lush vegetation, massive rock outcrops, and numerous, deep gorges. The Grampians represent the most west point of the Great Dividing Range of Australia. Most of this mountainous terrain is part of Grampian National Park. The object along the top of the image is an array of solar panels.

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