Earth observations of Northern Madagascar taken from Columbia during STS-93 mission

STS093-722-051 (23-27 July 1999) --- The STS-93 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia took this picture over the Indian Ocean. The distinctive arrowhead shape of the northern tip of the island of Madagascar is easily recognizable. The land appears red with patches of dark green on the upper slopes. According to NASA scientists studying the STS-93 photo collection, the dark areas are the remnants of forests and the red areas are cleared land. When the photo was taken, the shuttle was flying over a point located at 14.7 degrees south latitude and 44.0 degrees east longitude. Data back information on the 70mm film listed the date and time of the photo as 11:38:20 GMT, July 24, 1999 (Orbit 21).