Earth from space: Astronauts get the best views
Space: the final frontier. A place where brave astronauts from across the globe are pushing the boundaries of science, making new discoveries, and taking the kind of pictures that put your Instagram game to shame. Yes, from their position in near-Earth orbit these brave men and women are snapping everything from space selfies to jaw-dropping aerial shots of our little blue planet. Don't believe us? Check out some of these stunning shots that prove astronauts get the best views.
Aurora borealis
While us land dwellers have to trek to some of the most remote places on earth for an uninterrupted glimpse at Mother Nature’s spectacular lightshow, astronauts have the best seats in the house for admiring the northern lights. The spectral spectacle is created by collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter Earth's atmosphere, giving off a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours in the process.
Typhoon, Pacific Ocean
While some of the storms that Mother Nature throws up can be terrifying for those of us on terra firma, for those lucky enough to experience Earth’s weather patterns from outer space, there’s a certain beauty to the savagery. That’s definitely true of this jaw-dropping shot of Typhoon Nabi, which was captured by a member of the International Space Station back in 2005.
Holy smokes!
It’s not just natural phenomena that astronauts get to experience from high above the earth’s surface. In fact, in recent years the wildfires that have blighted the west coast of the United States have been so severe that the resultant smoke has even been visible from space
The eye of the storm
Typhoons aren't the only weather incidents that astronauts get to experience from outer space. In 2015, NASA commander Scott Kelly took time out of his duties on the International Space Station to shoot this snap of Hurricane Patricia, which shows just how massive some of our planet’s meteorological events can be.
Iran’s Great Salt Desert
No, this isn't some kind of magic eye picture—it’s a satellite image of Iran’s Great Salt Desert. A largely uninhabited wasteland made up of mud and salt marshes, the desert isn’t much to look at from ground level. But the same can’t be said of this bird’s-eye view, which is out of this world in a very real sense.
NYC at night
Outer space explorers have taken countless nighttime photos of the earth’s urban centres over the years, and looking at this gorgeous shot of New York City, it’s easy to see why. There’s something special about seeing the bright lights of the big city, especially when from 408 kilometres (254 miles) up.
London calling
It’s not just American metropolises that look incredible from a high altitude; cities on the other side of the Atlantic are just as impressive. Just look at this photo of London that NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren posted to Twitter alongside the message "London. Beautiful in the daylight, even prettier at night.”
The plains in Spain
Of course, mankind has had an indelible impact on the earth, and while sprawling cities are undoubtedly among the most jaw-dropping sights astronauts get to experience, sometimes agricultural land is just as impressive. This beautiful shot of the Spanish coast, complete with a patchwork quilt of colourful crops, is a prime example.
The plains in Spain, part 2
No, this isn't a satellite image of Mars, or the surface of some other extraterrestrial planet. It is in fact another shot of the Spanish countryside. This false-colour image shows a hodgepodge of agricultural fields just outside Seville. Eagle-eyed viewers might be able to spot two towers rising above the plain; these are part of a network of mirrors designed to meet the energy needs of the local residents.
A frozen lake
The Himalayan mountains are punctuated by a series of picturesque high-altitude lakes that get so cold during the winter, they freeze. These awe-inspiring bodies of water are some of the most beautiful sights on the planet, and judging by this photo, they look pretty spectacular from space, too.
Sunrise
None of us are strangers to the stunning natural beauty of the sunrise. There’s just something about that moment when the sun starts to fill the sky with colour. And, judging by this picture snapped at the International Space Station by American astronaut Scott Kelly, it’s every bit as impressive from space, too.
Moonrise
The inhabitants of the International Space Station are lucky enough to enjoy spectacular moonrises, too. In fact, as they whizz above the planet in low-earth orbit, they get to see the sun and moon rise 16 times a day. That’s a lot of photo opportunities!
Volcanic eruption
Probably the safest place to experience a volcanic eruption is from space. High above the clouds of ash and the rivers of white-hot magma, astronauts have been able to capture the incredible power and abstract beauty of these geological events.
Hurricane Katrina, 10 years on
This 2015 photo of the swampland surrounding New Orleans isn’t just beautiful, it also shows the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on the natural environment when it made landfall in 2005. And now, more than a decade after the catastrophic storm, its scars still linger on the natural landscape.
The floating city
Venice, Italy is a marvel; a floating city spread across more than 100 small islands interconnected by canals and bridges. It’s beautiful, but it’s also incredibly fragile. From space, you can see just how precarious it is thanks to the narrow barrier island that protects the city from flooding. Look closely at this stunning photo and you can also make out the red tiles Venetians use to cover the roofs of their homes.
Dust storm swirls over Saudi Arabia
Common in some of the world’s most arid regions, dust storms are meteorological phenomena that occur when strong winds blow loose sand and dirt across hundreds of miles. Ranging from annoying to apocalyptic, these storms can have a huge impact on peoples’ lives, but also help to transport soil across vast regions, fertilizing plants in the process.
The Sahara desert
The Sahara desert is massive. The largest hot desert in the world, it stretches across a staggering 8.6 million square kilometres (3.3 million square miles). That’s an area almost as large as the entire United States of America. From the ground, it’s almost impossible to fully comprehend just how vast the arid landscape is, but from space it’s an entirely different story.
Phytoplankton blooms
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that create algae blooms on the surface of the ocean. These blooms can span hundreds of kilometres and are sometimes so massive that they can be spotted from space. As they are exposed to sunlight and whipped around by ocean currents, these microorganisms form eye-catching patterns of bright blue and green swirls.
The divide between rich and poor
High above the troubles of day-to-day life, it’s still possible for astronauts to see the stark contrast between rich and poor. Nowhere is this more obvious than the Korean border, where the divide between the technologically advanced South and the underdeveloped North is noticeable through the region’s light pollution. To the south, you can see the urban and industrial heartlands of cities like Seoul, and further north, the bright lights of China. In the middle, North Korea disappears into the inky black of night.
A river runs through it
As the song lyric goes, “From a distance, the world looks blue and green,” and that’s certainly true of this stupendous shot of the densely forested wetlands surrounding the Napo River. Stretching across 885 kilometres (550 miles), the river originates in the Andes in Ecuador and stretches to the Peruvian border.
