Egypt’s river of light
NASA / Reuters
A night-time photograph snapped from the International Space Station on Oct. 28 shows the bright lights of Cairo and Alexandria as well as Egypt’s Nile River and its delta.
The River Nile lights up the night in a photographic view captured from the International Space Station, sailing in orbit about 220 miles above. You can also see lights ringing the Red Sea, as well as Israel’s lights along the Mediterranean coast toward upper right. I love the airglow effect visible at the edge of Earth’s disc.
This picture, taken Oct. 28, was one of a series highlighted by my colleague John Brecher last month, but I can’t resist coming back to it as today’s treat for the Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar. Maybe that’s because we’re in the midst of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Or maybe it’s because of today’s story about the geology behind the ancient “Gift of the Nile” floods. This glittering view from space can be seen as a gift of the Nile for the 21st century.
Come back every day leading up to Christmas for another Advent calendar view of Earth from space. You can see the entire series of pictures, as well as other space-themed Advent calendars, by clicking on the links below:
* From Day 1: The Cosmic Log Advent Calendar so far * Door 2 for Dec. 2: ‘Alien’ lake seen from space * The Big Picture at Boston.com: Hubble Advent calendar * Planetary Society: Solar system Advent calendar * Zooniverse Advent calendar
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