The Green River is a 730 miles (1,170 km) long tributary of the Colorado River that flows through Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.

This view of Utah’s Canyonlands National Park shows the meandering Green River as it connects with the Colorado River. Both the Green and Colorado rivers are main sources of erosion in this area of Utah. Deep canyons have been carved into the landscape by the erosive forces of water and wind.

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured a segment of the river around Bowknot Bend just north of Canyonlands National Park. Bowknot Bend got its name from geologist John Wesley Powell in 1869 who named it after the way this segment of the Green River nearly doubles back onto itself. The circular loop of Bowknot Bend runs for 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) before end up only 1,200 feet (360 meters) from the start of the bend.

More:
- Green River Meanders, NASA