Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> Canary Islands

Canary Islands

author: Nasa/GSFC/Novapix

reference: t-afcan-00003

Image Size 300 DPI: 24 * 17 cm

The Canary Islands are a group of seven large islands and several smaller islets, all volcanic in origin. The eastern edge of the chain lies only 100 kilometers from the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara, and the chain stretches for about 500 kilometers across the Atlantic. All the islands are mountainous, and Tenerife, the central island in this image is home to Pico del Teide, the highest peak, which rises 12,198 feet (3,718 meters) above sea level. From east to west, the islands are named Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palmera and El Hierro. A bright swirl of peacock blue marks the ocean south of El Hierro, a stain on the sea from an ongoing eruption of a volcano under the waters.

Keywords for this photo:

2011 - AFRICA - ATLANTIC OCEAN - CANARY ISLANDS - EARTH - EARTH FROM SPACE - ISLAND - OCEAN - SATELLITE IMAGE - SPAIN - TEIDE - TENERIFE - TERRA - VOLCANO - WATER -