This striking photograph shows a massive sandstorm sweeping over the Persian Gulf state of Qatar as it races southward toward southeastern Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on February 15, 2004. A major upper-level, low-pressure system over southwestern Asia led to a series of storms sweeping through the area. The crew of the International Space Station acquired this image with a digital camera using a 50-mm lens.

Astronaut photograph ISS008-E-16355 was provided by the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth at NASA Johnson Space Center.