21 Amazing Photos Of Earth Taken From Space

By Elisabeth Sherman

Published August 23, 2016

Updated January 18, 2018

In these images taken by both satellites and astronauts living on the International Space Station, Earth’s strange and colorful terrain comes into focus from a fascinating new perspective. From the Sahara desert to coral reefs off the coast of Africa, the most beautiful places in the world look positively alien as seen from space. Still, our planet remains a work of art whether it’s covered in ice or preparing for a hurricane. Here are 21 stunning pictures of Earth from space that prove just that:

Shuttle Endeavour On Mision To International Space Station

Space Shuttle Endeavour Makes Last Trip To ISS Under Command Of Astronaut Mark Kelly

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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly showed off the surprisingly colorful Sahara desert in this photo posted to Twitter on October 17, 2015.Scott Kelly/Twitter

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Jeff Williams, another NASA astronaut, posted this photo of neon green auroras south of Australia to Twitter on June 24, 2016. Jeff Williams/Twitter

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Williams also shared this photo of the Richat Structure, an enormous eroded dome in the Sahara, to Twitter on June 30, 2016. Jeff Williams/Twitter

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On July 6, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of phytoplankton in the Barents Sea. NASA

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On April 8, 2015, astronauts on the International Space Station captured this photo of Paris at night.

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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this picture of Adele Island (off the coast of Australia) on June 11, 2015. NASA

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Scott Kelly shared this photo of the Bahamas on Twitter on January 19, 2016. Scott Kelly/Twitter

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European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake captured ice on the coast of British Columbia from the International Space Station on December 31, 2015. NASA/ESA/Tim Peake

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The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on NASA's Landsat 8 satellite took this photo of gouges left by ice in the Caspian Sea.NASA

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On May 31, 2016, the Expedition 47 crew aboard the International Space Station took this photo of beams of light shining over central Asia. NASA

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The Cleveland volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands erupting on May 23, 2009.NASA via Getty Images

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The space shuttle Endeavour prepares to dock with the International Space Station on November 16, 2008.NASA via Getty Images

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Earth's atmosphere against a starry night sky, along with a wing of the Endeavour space shuttle, can be seen in this photo taken on May 28, 2011. NASA via Getty Images

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Scott Kelly took this photo of Hurricane Patricia gathering over Mexico from the International Space Station on October 23, 2015. Scott Kelly/NASA via Getty Images

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Astronaut Tim Peake took this photo of the Mediterranean lit up at night on January 25, 2016. NASA/ESA/Tim Peake

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Peake captured rare high-altitude noctilucent or "night shining" clouds from the International Space Station on May 29, 2016.NASA/ESA/Tim Peake

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Jeff Williams photographed the northwestern coast of Australia on March 29, 2016. NASA/Jeff Williams

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Tim Peake posted this photo of coral reefs off the coast of Mozambique to his Twitter on May 29, 2016. Tim Peake/Twitter

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The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite took this photo of clouds and ice over the Okhotsk Sea on February 8, 2016. NASA/LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS

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Tim Peake compared Iran's Great Salt Desert to Mars in this photo posted to Twitter on June 7, 2016. Tim Peake/Twitter

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European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took this photo of the Horn of Africa from the International Space Station on January 30, 2015. NASA/ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

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