Earth observation taken during STS-102

STS102-336-035 (8-21 March 2001) --- One of the STS-102 astronauts aimed a 35mm camera through windows on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery to capture this synoptic southeast view of several New England states. The moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean is visible along the coastline. The southern limit of the snow-covered landscape can be traced from southeast Massachusetts (left center) westward along the northern shore of Long Island Sound and includes the northern end of New Jersey (right center). In addition to Long Island (center), other prominent features on this image include: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Islands; as well as the Hudson River (bottom center). Several southerly-draining river systems are discernible in Connecticut and extensive wetlands are observed along New York and New Jersey coastal areas.