Earth from Space - Image Information


LOCATION Direction Photo #: ISS061-E-52673 Date: Nov. 2019
Geographic Region: BRAZIL
Feature: ROCAS ATOLL


 
Rocas Atoll

This photograph, taken by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS), shows the only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean. Rocas Atoll (//sigep.cprm.gov.br/sitio033/sitio033english.htm) is part of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, located approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) off the northeastern coast of Brazil. This image clearly captures the defining boundary between the outer algal ridge, the open ocean, and the sandy bottom closer to the atoll's center.

An atoll is usually a circular or oval-shaped reef structure with a lagoon in the center. These structures typically form around a volcanic island that has subsided while the coral continues to grow upward. These reef structures are self-contained environments that create ideal conditions for a diverse habitat. Coral reefs are considered among the most diverse ecosystems in the world.

In 1978, Rocas Atoll was named a national biological reserve due to the large populations of migratory and resident seabirds. As the first marine reserve to be established in Brazil, it is the strictest type of protected area, specifically focused on the conservation of biodiversity such that no recreational activity or resource exploitation is permitted.



Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 180k
Mission: ISS061  
Roll - Frame: E - 52673
Geographical Name: BRAZIL  
Features: ROCAS ATOLL  
Center Lat x Lon: 3.9S x 33.8W
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: 13   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 500  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: NE   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: 20191121   YYYYMMDD
Time: 180130   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 4.6S  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 34.3W  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 250   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 224   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 30   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: ATOLL, COAST, ISLAND  
Water Views: LAGOON, OCEAN, REEF  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  

Photo is not associated with any sequences


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