Awe-inspiring: The jagged path of the Grand Canyon can be seen in this image taken by a crew on board the International Space Station
Jagged ridges rising above the surrounding arid landscapes also clearly mark out the 277-mile canyon, which was formed about 6 million years ago due to a combination of tectonic uplift and the Colorado river changing its course.
Just as the Grand Canyon, with its 1.6km drop through sandstone and limestone, is a popular tourist attraction, bringing in up to 5 million visitors a year, it is also a popular landmark with Nasa's astronauts, who enjoying photographing it from the space station.
The six-man Expedition 39 crew are part of a mission that provides photos of Earth to help scientists and geologists with their research, as well as amazing the general public.
Their photos, which show rock formations, wild storms and erupting volcanoes, can be viewed on the Earth Observatory website.
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