Istanbul and the surrounding area in northwestern Turkey are captured in this space wallpaper acquired by Envisat’s MERIS instrument on June 9, 2011. To the north is the Black Sea, which connects to the Sea of Marmara (center) via the Bosphorus strait. The Dardanelles strait connects the Marmara to the Aegean Sea (lower left corner). Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, is near the center of the image at the Bosphorus strait. Istanbul straddles two continents (Europe and Asia), making it a true meeting place of the East and the West. This image was released April 3, 2013.
