Astronaut photograph ISS008-E-5983 was taken November 14, 2003,
with a Kodak DCS760 digital camera equipped with an 80 mm lens
and provided by the Earth Observations Laboratory, Johnson Space
Center. The International Space Station Program supports the
laboratory 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. Rio de la
Plata is the muddy estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, and
forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The rich
estuary supports both capital cities of Buenos Aires and
Montevideo. The Paraná is South America’s second longest river,
and drains much of the southeastern part of the continent. The
extensive delta of the Paraná nearly reaches across the mouth of
the Uruguay River. The rivers’ fertile soils support extensive
agriculture, inc