The Space Shuttle Discovery in orbit over the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. Observers of the region report that it had recently undergone a period of hot and dry weather. As the picture reveals, the sky is very clear on this occasion and the coastal waters are free from any significant sediment plumes, whereas normally the large rivers which drain the prominent mountain belt in the foreground, (the Cordillera Central), carry heavy silt loads. The view is looking south with Manila Bay at the top end of the island.