14 DAY TRIAL // Astronauts with the Expedition 38 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were recently able to capture an amazing view of the active Kliuchevskoi (or Klyuchevskaya) Volcano, in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. As you can plainly see, the photo was taken at an extremely skewed angle.
Normally, it is not possible to capture such images from 416 kilometers (258 miles) above the Earth's surface. This photo was collected at a very oblique angle in a brief moment when viewing conditions were just right. As an added bonus, the position of the ISS at the time gives the image a sense of perspective, as if it was caught in 3D.
The shadows of all volcanic peaks in this view contribute to this feeling of depth. This high obliquity was made possible by the fact that the photo was collected when the ISS was located more than 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away to the southwest, compared to the position of the volcano.
A plume made of ash, volcanic gases and Steam can be clearly seen emerging from the Kliuchevskoi peak. Since Kamchatka is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, many of its large volcanoes are still active, and erupting constantly, NASA experts say in a statement.