Earth Observation

ISS040-E-081424 (27 July 2014) --- From an altitude of 223 nautical miles, one of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the International Space Station on July 27, 2014 recorded this oblique night image of Taiwan (center foreground) and part of mainland China. Hundreds of fishing vessels, perhaps for harvesting both fish and squid as well as other forms of marine life, are seen in clusters throughout the panorama. Two lightning storms -- one on either side of the image -- are also visible.