ISS Astronaut Captures 'Wall of Haze' Over Pakistan.
An astronaut on the International Space Station captured an oblique shot of clouds and haze colliding with high-elevation ridges near Pasadena.
Though the breathtaking image was obtained in December 2023, it was released as Image of the Day on NASA’s Earth Observatory website on April 28, 2024, and has since echoed on many other websites, including livescience.com.
The photograph, which shows dense mists and clouds crashing onto high-altitude ridges, was captured in Dhana Sar, where a gorge runs through the famed Koh e Sulaiman, or Sulaiman Mountains.
The Sulaiman Mountains, a geological marvel, act as a natural barrier between the western plateaus and the Indus River Valley to the east, with winds from the Indian Ocean and the Indus floodplain transporting moisture and particles inland. This interaction causes haze, mist, and clouds to gather on the windward side of the mountain range.
Lacking the ability to reach the high elevations, the haze and clouds are directed around the mountains, with a small stream of vapor visible through gaps near Dhana Sar, where a gorge cuts through the range.
Astronaut photography provides a unique perspective on Earth’s landscapes, as seen in this image, which uses an oblique angle to highlight the rocky terrain of the Sulaiman Mountains, enhanced by the shadows generated by its topography.
According to NASA’s website:
“Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-42565 was taken on December 17, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital camera with a 460-millimeter focal length.” It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and Johnson Space Center’s Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit. An Expedition 70 crew member captured the shot. The image has been trimmed and improved for better contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed.”
The Sulaiman Mountains, which rise around 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level, serve as a strong natural barrier. To the west are towering plateaus, while to the east is the Indus River Valley, where precipitation from the Indian Ocean frequently concentrates, resulting in a haze, mist, and fog. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, these water vapors are unable to pass over the mountain peaks and are instead diverted around them via a process known as terrain-forced flow.
