Indonesia as seen from STS-66 shuttle Atlantis

This is a striking, oblique view to the south of the Indonesian islands of Java (right), Bali and Lombok (upper left). The linear array of dark regions across the photo is a chain of volcanoes which make up the back bone of this part of the Indonesian Islands. This chain has been quite active over the past six months. Plumes of steam can be seen rising from the summits of Arjuno (west-central Java) and Merapi (central Java, near the right side of this photo). The region appears hazy due to an extended drought over Indonesia and Australia. Because of drought conditions, huge fires continue to burn over other regions of Indonesia, New Guinea and norther Australia, producing a regional smoke pall.