Lake Tana and the Ethiopian Highlands Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features an astronaut’s view of central Sudan, including Lake Tana and the Ethiopian Highlands. 

Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia, serves as an important resource for the fishing industry and for agriculture in the surrounding wetlands.

According to NASA. Lake Tana also feeds the Blue Nile, which runs through northern Ethiopia and southern Sudan and delivers water to many communities.  NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency was to have a distinctly civilian orientation, encouraging peaceful applications in space science. Since its establishment, most US space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle. NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the development of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System, Commercial Crew vehicles, and the planned Lunar Gateway space station. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program, which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for uncrewed NASA launches.

Even though the Ethiopian Highlands are surrounded by desert, including the East African Rift Valley, they have a temperate climate and abundant rainfall thanks to their elevation. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer