9. Greek Island, Spiral Eddies and Wakes

This Linhof camera photograph of the eastern end of Crete and some of the smaller Greek islands illustrates the amount of information that can be obtained from one shuttle photograph. An extensive spiral eddy field can be detected in the Sun glitter in the center of the frame. The Sun glitter also picks out the island wakes — a phenomenon created where islands interrupt the flow pattern or ocean water. The characteristic V-shaped bow wakes of two vessels can be seen off the Cretan coast on the edge of the area of Sun glitter.

STS-61A, October-November 1985. Picture #61A-200-046

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