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.
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