Return to Earth From Space Home
Earth from Space logo Image Information Earth from Space logo

Display a Screen Layout for Printing

IMAGE: gray corner       IMAGE: gray corner
  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS067-E-15588 Date: Apr. 2022
Geographic Region: GERMANY
Feature: HAMBACH SURFACE MINE, ELSDORF, NIEDERZIER

Ordering information for space photography
 
IMAGE: gray corner     IMAGE: gray corner

Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner
  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Hambach Coal Mine

An astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this photograph of Hambach Surface Mine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The open-pit coal mining area spans nearly 44 square kilometers (17 square miles) and drops to depths almost 300 meters (1,000 feet) below sea level. The villages of Elsdorf and Niederzier sit next to the mine, and numerous agricultural fields appear as angular shapes on the surrounding landscape.

As the largest open-pit coal mine in Germany, Hambach produces 40 million tons of lignite annually. Also known as brown coal, lignite is a soft sedimentary rock produced from peat, an organic material formed from decayed plants. Typically used to generate electricity, brown coal is considered the lowest grade of coal because of its high moisture content and low heating value.

The tan-hued lines etching towards the center of the Hambach mine are large steps, a safety measure typical of open-pit operations. Composed of a slanted wall and a horizontal floor portion called the "bench", the steps help prevent rocks and boulders from falling into the pit.

Mine spoils--material removed to access the lignite--are deposited on the mine's excavated sides as an effort to eventually rehabilitate some of the landscape. Sophienhohe Hill, one of the area's landmarks, was built from mine spoils and has become a popular recreational area. When mining operations are complete, plans call for the remaining Hambach hollow to be recultivated as a lake, with groundwater and water from the River Rhine pipeline being used to fill the pit.

 
Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner

Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 541k
Mission: ISS067  
Roll - Frame: E - 15588
Geographical Name: GERMANY  
Features: HAMBACH SURFACE MINE, ELSDORF, NIEDERZIER  
Center Lat x Lon: 50.9N x 6.5E
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: N8
 
Camera Tilt: 16   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 1150  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: W   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 20220417   YYYYMMDD
Time: 110316   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 51.2N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 7.5E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 170   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 220   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 49   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views:  
Water Views:  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


NASA
Home Page
JSC
Home Page
JSC Digital
Image Collection
Earth Science &
Remote Sensing

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