The International Space Station is the best place to observe the Earth. Every year, astronauts provide us with some of the most striking images of our planet. Thanks to their technical skills, the crew of the orbital outpost creates unique shots at an altitude of 420 km above the surface, orbiting the planet every 90 minutes.
This year’s most interesting images include the bright comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (A3), the mysterious northern lights, colorful sunsets and sunrises, and unique night clouds – rare formations of ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The astronauts also had the opportunity to observe a total solar eclipse when the Moon’s shadow fell on the United States in April.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick admitted that even modern cameras cannot fully capture the beauty seen by the human eye from space. “I have spent a lot of time trying to capture what I’ve seen, but I haven’t managed to do it yet,” he said.
The view from space shows hurricanes in all their destructive majesty and eerie beauty. Large-scale storms like Helene and Milton appear to be all-consuming. Astronauts have even observed lightning cutting through the clouds.
Being on board the ISS often evokes deep emotions. This phenomenon is called the “vista effect” – a sense of awe, unity and fragility of our planet. Actor William Shatner, after his tourist flight in 2021 on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, was so impressed after a few minutes in zero gravity on the edge of space that he commented on what he saw: “There’s blue down there and black up there. Mother Earth is our home, but what is up there, beyond it? Death?”
NASA astronaut Suni Williams also shared her impressions: “When you see the Earth from space, it’s hard to imagine how people can’t live in harmony on it.” Her words sounded especially telling after Williams and her partner Butch Wilmore were forced to stay on the ISS due to technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Although the Starliner returned to Earth without a crew, the astronauts took the challenge with dignity, calling the ISS their “happy place”. They are scheduled to return to Earth in March 2024 aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Despite all its achievements, the ISS is coming to the end of its life – its operation will end in 2030. NASA has already commissioned SpaceX to develop a rocket that will send the station on its final flight – a fiery plunge into the Pacific Ocean.
Matt Dominick believes that the ISS’s legacy will last for years to come. “It’s an example of what humanity can do when it comes together and works together,” he said.
Earlier, we reported on the main space events of 2024.
Provided by sciencealert.com
