Where In The Universe Challenge #145

By Nancy Atkinson - April 20, 2011 at 7:36 PM UTC | Observing
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It's time once again for another Where In The Universe Challenge. Name where in the Universe this image was taken and give yourself extra points if you can name the telescope or spacecraft responsible for the image. Post your guesses in the comments section, and check back on later at this same post to find the answer. To make this challenge fun for everyone, please don't include links or extensive explanations with your answer. Good luck!

UPDATE: Answer now posted below!

This is planet Earth, specifically the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park, a part of the Sahara Desert, taken by the Landsat 7 satellite. Landsat 7 used a combination of infrared, near-infrared and visible light to better distinguish between the various rock types found in the region. Sand appears in shades of yellow and tan, while granite rocks appear brick red, and blue areas are likely salts. This area has a bone-dry climate with scant rainfall, but is not just a sea of sand like the rest of the Sahara Desert. Instead, the rocky plateau rises above the surrounding sand. Rich in geologic and human history, Tassili n'Ajjer is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, and covers 27,800 square miles (72,000 square kilometers) in southeastern Algeria.

This image is part of a special collection of images put out by NASA for Earth Day.

See the entire collection at this link.

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com