Glaciers near Mt. St. Elias, Alaska
STS059-228-94
Mount St. Elias and glaciers spilling into the sea, Alaska Peninsula
Our mission aboard Endeavour with the Space Radar Lab 1 was nearly over. Yet Earth was ever-fascinating, as in this view from along Alaska’s coast. In this view, (with thanks to NASA’s Earth Observation office for the research), the spring thaw along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska has not touched the St. Elias Mountains, southeast of Yakutat Bay and Malaspina Glacier. A prominent glacier flows from Mt. Fairweather (15,300 feet) at right center, to form Cape Fairweather. Another glacier to the northwest almost reaches the sea; the valley of the Alsek River forms a broad, braided plain at upper left. In this 250mm Hasselblad telephoto shot, the low sun elevation and oblique angle provide a 3-dimensional appearance to the black-and-white landscape.
I later cruised the inside passage of Alaska’s panhandle with my family, and these mountains and glaciers were a marvel. Our crew was blessed with 11 days of views like this, around the globe. I’m still trying to check off a few more with visits on the ground!
STS59-228-094
Leave a Reply