Photos

The volcanic island shown here is Pitcairn Island, the island on which the sailors from the British ship HMS Bounty settled after their mutiny in 1790. High cliffs surround most of the island, making access difficult - likely a primary reason the mutineers chose this landfall. The center of the island is green, covered with a dense forest. The island's only inhabitants (descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions) live in Adamstown, the bright spots near the northeast shore. A faint semi-circle around the top of the island traces out an ancient crater, evidence of Pitcairn's volcanic past. This image of Pitcairn was taken on 5 April 2006. Photo courtesy of NASA.