An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of Boddington, Australia, and nearby mines while orbiting over Western Australia. The town of Boddington is located about 120 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of Perth and is home to just over 1,100 people. Despite the small population, Boddington is bustling with industry and is home to Australia’s largest gold-producing mine.
The Boddington gold mine is located northwest of the town. Photographed in the local evening, the low Sun elevation angle accentuates the different layers (benches) of the mine, casting shadows along the open pits. Farther north of the mine, a large tailings pond appears gray and blue-green. Tailings ponds typically contain mine waste and isolate it from the surrounding environment. Gold Mine Road runs from the mine to the mine camp. The camp temporarily houses mine workers while on their work rotations.
The Boddington Bauxite Mine lies southwest of the town. The distinct red hue in this area is characteristic of bauxite, which is mined for its high aluminum content. Bauxite is typically mined using open-pit methods, where the overlying vegetation and soil are removed to expose the aluminum-rich layer.
Various hues of green surround the mines. The dark green, ridged land on the right half of the image is a heavily vegetated mountainous area known as the Darling Range. The brighter, more sharply bordered land on the left side of the image supports agricultural activities, including sheep and cattle grazing. Boddington’s agriculture industry is sustained by the Hotham River and its tributaries.
Astronaut photograph ISS071-E-615072 was acquired on September 9, 2024, Nikon Z9 digital camera using a focal length of 560 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 71 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by Chloe Locke, Amentum JETS II Contract at NASA-JSC.
