| A L P H A C E N T A U R I P L A N E T A R I U M |
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The southern end of Lake Mweru, a large
freshwater lake with a maximum depth of at least 80 feet
(25 meters), is visible in this near-vertical, color
infrared photograph. The lake forms part of the border
between Zaire to the west and Zambia to the east. The
lake, noted for its large fisheries, is part of the
Bangweulu wetland system and the Luapula River, which
flows northward through the lake and is a headstream of
the Zaire (Congo) River. The Luapula River’s main
channel, south of the lake, meanders through the swampy
floodplain where many open bodies of water are identified
as dark features within the heavily vegetated marshland.
The roughly triangular lake island near the southern end
of Lake Mweru belongs to Zambia. Visible west of the lake
is the northern portion of the Kundelungu Mountains, a
range of low mountains and escarpments, through which a
roadway or railroad right-of-way winds between some of
the more elevated landforms. The reddish pink color on
color infrared film designates green vegetation and
indicates areas with dense foliage south and west of the
lake. |
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E X P L O R A T I O N O F T H E E A R T H A N D M O O N |