An astronaut on the International Space Station took this photo of Boddington, Australia. Boddington is about 120 kilometers (70 miles) from Perth. The town has a small population of around 1,100 people. But it has a big gold mine, which is the largest in Australia.
The gold mine is northwest of the town. The photo shows the mine in the evening light. This light makes the mine’s layers stand out. The shadows show the open pits. To the north, there is a tailings pond. This pond holds waste from the mine.
Southwest of Boddington is the Boddington Bauxite Mine. This area is red and is rich in bauxite, which is used to make aluminum. Green areas around the mines are farms. Boddington’s farms get water from the Hotham River.
This photo was taken on September 9, 2024, with a special camera. It is part of a project to share images of Earth from space.
Vocabulary List:
- Astronaut /ˈæs.trə.nɔːt/ (noun): A person trained to travel in space.
- Population /ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The total number of people living in a specific area.
- Tailings /ˈteɪ.lɪŋz/ (noun): Waste material left after the extraction of valuable minerals from ore.
- Bauxite /ˈbɔːk.saɪt/ (noun): A sedimentary rock with a high aluminum content used for aluminum production.
- Aluminum /əˈluː.mɪ.nəm/ (noun): A lightweight silvery-white metallic element used in various applications.
- Evening /ˈiː.vən.ɪŋ/ (noun): The period of time at the end of the day beginning after the afternoon.
How much do you know?
Where was the photo taken from space?
What is the population of Boddington?
What type of mine is located northwest of Boddington?
What color represents the Boddington Bauxite Mine in the photo?
Where do Boddington farms get their water from?
What project is the photo a part of?
Boddington is located about 50 miles from Perth.
The gold mine in Boddington is the smallest in Australia.
The Boddington Bauxite Mine is rich in iron ore.
The tailings pond in the photo stores water for the town of Boddington.
The photo was taken during the day.
Bauxite is used to make aluminum.
Boddington is about kilometers from Perth.
The photo was taken on September 9, .
The Boddington gold mine is the largest in .
The mine in Boddington is shown in the light in the photo.
To the north of the mine, there is a pond.
Boddington’s farms receive water from the River.
