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[[image]]

Mississippi River Delta as an example (Phase II) (image #STS51C-143-027)

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24-27 January 1985   
STS51C-143-027
Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

STS-51C Earth View (Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana) -- This near-vertical photograph taken in January, 1985, shows the distribution pattern of muddy fresh water from the Mississippi River as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. New Orleans, with its surrounding urban area, is highly reflective and appears at the top center. Light colored streaks of developed land extend on natural levees along the ancient La Fourche Delta to the west located at the top left of the view. The Chandeleur Islands, to the east of the present Mississippi Delta (center right), are remnants of the older delta lobe.
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To further explore the Mississippi River Delta investigation you and your students now need to do some "getting oriented." Look on the back of the picture.  There is written information about this image, provided by NASA. It tells you that the picture was taken by an astronaut on the space shuttle in January 1985, on flight STS-51C. The image reference # is 51C-143-0027. You can use this number to get more information via NASA's image web site (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop.html).

NASA has also provided a descriptive paragraph, which says that the picture "shows the distribution pattern of muddy fresh water from the Mississippi River as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. New Orleans, with its surrounding urban area, is highly reflective and appears at the top center."


Teachers' Guide       Page 9.9