Breathtaking photos from the International Space Station remind us of our common home
The International Space Station camera captures a nighttime view of the
Strait of Gibraltar with a Russian Soyuz spacecraft (left) and Progress
spacecraft in the foreground.
During the 50 years we have been able take photos of
Earth from space, we have become somewhat blase about the little blue
planet on which we live.
However, a new series of photos released
by the International Space Station and the US National Aeronautics and
Space Administration remind us just how beautiful our home really is.
From
its vantage point 400 kilometres above the ground, four stunning images
capture the Earth at night with breathtaking images of city lights, the
reflected moon and thunderstorms forming over what looks like
South-East Asia.

The southern tip of Italy as seen from the International Space Station.
The photos were taken over three days from September 16.
One
image clearly shows the Straits of Gibraltar where north Africa and
Europe almost touch. In the foreground are a Soyuz and Progress
spacecraft from Russia, docked with the space station.
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The International Space Station camera captures a nighttime view of the Strait of Gibraltar with a Russian Soyuz spacecraft (left) and Progress spacecraft in the foreground.
Another image shows the boot tip of Italy, upside down, with the
bright lights of Naples pushing through mottled cloud cover. Moonlight
is shimmering off the Mediterranean with the spacecraft's solar panels
obscuring the island of Sicily.
A third picture captures the
lights clinging tightly to the Nile River valley with Cairo shining
bright ahead of the great river's glittery delta. To the right are the
lights of Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

The International Space Station flies approximately 400 kilometres over thunderstorms visible during a nighttime pass.
The last image shows thunderstorms forming, with lightning flashing
in one of the clouds. The area looks like South-East Asia, although this
information was not provided by the ISS or NASA but gleaned from the
delightful commentary on the space station's Facebook page.

This nighttime view of northern Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula was
captured by the Expedition 49 crew on the International Space Station.
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