In orbit above the Andes in southern Peru, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) photographed the glaciers and alpine lakes of the Vilcanota Mountains. The mountain range contains the second largest glacial mountain range in Peru. The deep blue hue of Laguna Sibinacocha contrasts with the bright ice and snow of the upper reaches of the mountains, while the smaller glacial lakes, such as Lagunas Singrenacocha and Amayuni, display lighter blue to blue-green hues.
On May 31, 2023, astronauts on the International Space Station captured beautiful photos of the Andes Mountains in southern Peru. The icy landscape high in the Andes is dotted with colorful glacial lakes and weathered rocks.
Moraine marks the historical path of the glaciers that fed these lakes. Lake Sibinacocha (Laguna Sibinacocha) is about 18 kilometers (11 miles) at its longest point, and the water eventually flows into the Amazon River.
In the lower left of the picture, south of Nevado Auzangate, you can see some "rainbow mountains" with their peaks appearing red. Millions of years of erosion and weathering have given these mountains their different hues. These mountains have great cultural significance to the local population and have become famous tourist attractions because of their unique colors.
The ice caps and glaciers pictured here are called low-latitude or tropical glaciers and were originally formed during the last ice age. Although located in the tropics, these mountains maintain a permanent layer of ice year-round due to cooler temperatures at higher altitudes. The neighboring Quelkaya Ice Cap is the largest tropical ice cap in the world.
Glaciers in the tropics are in danger of disappearing as temperatures rise due to climate change. For decades, astronauts have collected images of glaciers around the world, documenting changes such as the retreat of glacier tongues.
Astronaut photo ISS069-E-16604-16613 was taken on May 31, 2023 with a Nikon D5 digital camera with a focal length of 400 mm. Photo courtesy of the International Space Station Crew Earth Observation Facility and the Johnson Space Center Earth Science and Remote Sensing Division. This image was taken by Expedition 69 crew members. Images are cropped and enhanced to improve contrast and remove lens artifacts. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the International Space Station National Laboratory to help astronauts take photos of Earth that are most valuable to scientists and the public and make these images freely available on the Internet. Image caption by Sara Schmidt of GeoControl Systems, NASA-JSC's JETS contract.