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    Re: ISS view of Europe
    From: David Pike
    Date: 2026 Jan 11, 08:38 -0800

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    I looked long and hard at this and, there were so many questions remaining that I decided not to post without more research.  In addition to the mirror imaging, the non-conformality of the photograph doesn’t help either.  I didn’t feel happy about Cambridge, because in addition to triangulation uncertainty, nearby cities equally large barely show.  I decided a lot depended upon the view from the ISS.  I concluded (guessed) that: the ISS was travelling eastwards close to the northernmost latitude of its orbit, the Sun was probably from around east, and there wasn’t much wind.  My reason for assuming this is the specular refraction of sunlight from the sea and most lakes and rivers compared to the diffuse refraction of sunlight from the land.  The only problem is the Ijsselmeer, which if I’ve identified it correctly shows almost black in the photograph.  The Ijsselmeer does get green and murky at times, but I think this would be clutching at straws for a reason.  In searching for possible sources of reflection in East Anglia, I searched satellite photography for solar farms, but I found nothing of significance.  It’s also possible that the minor ‘Silicon Valley' around Cambridge is producing the energy, but that’s also clutching at straws.

    Overall then, I believe that all the inland bright spots are chance specular reflections of sunlight off water.  Note the little white square, very low, dead centre.  That’s Rutland water.  Note the Great Ouse leaving the SE corner of The Wash.  See where it splits leaving a dead straight line, the New and Old Bedford Rivers running SW on Google Maps and horizontally in the photograph.  The corner where it gets bright white and turns right down 90 degrees is St Ives. Where it turns 90 left again is Huntingdon, and the white smudge just around the corner is Graffam Water.  The top half of that bright bit, like a K, is Cambridge, but it’s the reflection from the various rivers around the town.  Most of that area is called The Fens.  Can you see the punts?  Dave P

       
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