Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Best of Earth from the ISS

Fire scars in Australia are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 5 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). Bright orange fire scars show up the underlying dune sand in the Simpson Desert, Credit: NASA

The International Space Station has been orbiting the Earth every day for over 10 years, and the astronauts all say their favorite pastime is looking at the Earth. During the past 10 years, the crews have taken some great pictures of our planet, and these images provide a unique look at our world. These are just a few of the spectacular views of Earth from the space station.

Cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, Expedition One Soyuz commander, takes a still photo of a geographic target of opportunity, through one of the viewing ports onboard the International Space Station's Zvezda Service Module. Credit: NASA
This view of a Chilean glaciated area was taken by the Expedition 1 crew. The remote headwaters of the Rio de la Colonia are located on the eastern flank of the Cerro Pared Norte, a high, coastal range of the Andes in southern Chile. This is just a portion of a larger glaciated region of the Chilean coast. Credit: NASA
The Expedition Five crew of the ISS observed Mt. Etna’s spectacular eruption in October of 2002. They photographed details of the eruption plume and smoke from fires triggered by the lava as it flowed down the 11,000 ft mountain. Credit: NASA
ISS crewmembers can also take images of space. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears in the center of this frame photographed by astronaut Don Pettit, Expedition Six NASA ISS science officer. Credit: NASA
Bright city lights along the coastline and interior of the eastern coast of the United States were captured with a digital still camera by one of the Expedition Six crewmembers on board the International Space Station (ISS). This nighttime view shows New York City, the largest and brightest metropolitan area along the coast. The metropolitan area straddles the Hudson River and spreads eastward over western Long Island. The second largest city in this image is Philadelphia.
This close-up view of the eye of Hurricane Isabel was taken by one of the Expedition 7 crewmembers onboard the ISS in September 2003. Credit: NASA
This image featuring Mt. Everest and Makalu was taken by an Expedition 8 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS) in January 2004. Credit: NASA
This is Moreno Glacier in Argentina, taken by an Expedition 10 crewmember. Credit: NAS
The impact of an asteroid or comet several hundred million years ago, according to scientists, left scars in the landscape that are still visible in this International Space Station/Expedition 12 picture of an area in the Sahara Desert of northern Chad. credit: NASA
Mount Rainier in Washington in the USA is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
Backdropped by the thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the blackness of space, a portion of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member aboard the station. in May 2009. Credit: NASA
The profile of the atmosphere and a setting sun are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station in June 2007. Credit: NASA
A blue and white part of Earth and the blackness of space are featured in this image photographed in May 2010 from the ISS. Credit: NASA
A fire in Montana is shown in this image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member on the International Space Station. Lightning strikes in the forested mountains of the western United States, as well as human activities, can spark wild fires during the summer dry season. Credit: NASA

To see more images from the ISS you can look in at least two different places: the Gateway to NASA Astronaut Photograph of Earth website, and also the NASA Human Spaceflight website, which has photographs from each of the different Expedition crews of the ISS.

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