Florida peninsula, USA, 31 October 1998

Florida peninsula, USA, 31 October 1998. Taken during the STS-95 mission from a point over Cuba, this photo shows an oblique, foreshortened view of Florida, with the light blue, shallow seafloor of both the Florida Keys (curving across the bottom) and the Bahama banks (right). 'Popcorn' cumulus cloud covers Miami and the Southern Everglades, although the built-up area from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach can be discerned. Lake Okeechobee is the prominent waterbody. Cape Canaveral appears half-way up the peninsula. Orlando is the lighter patch west (left) of Cape Canaveral, near the middle of the peninsula. Cape Hatteras appears top right, with the north part of Chesapeake Bay also visible. This is a visibility of 16 degrees of latitude (23 degrees N over Cuba to 39 degrees at Baltimore), showing unusual atmospheric clarity. ©SSPL/NASA