Earth observations taken during the STS-103 mission

STS103-501-104 (19-27 December 1999) --- One of the astronauts aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery used a handheld large format camera to photograph this scene which stretches from the Gulf of Mexico into Oklahoma. Parts of Louisiana and Arkansas are also visible in the frame. The Red River snakes its way through the East Texas Piney Woods (center). The river meets with the southern edge of the Ouachita folded mountains of southern Oklahoma. The white, linear feature north of the Red River is most likely a jet stream cloud, according to Earth scientists who studied the STS-103 collection at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Jet contrails can be seen flying over the clouds. Along the Texas Gulf Coast are Galveston Bay and the greater Houston metropolitan area.