Photos of space station astronauts reveal highs and lows of Earth observation from above in 2021 so far

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land seen from space above the red sea and the meandering nile in africa — The thin blue line of Earth’s atmosphere appears on the horizon beyond the Red Sea and the Nile in Africa on February 3, 2021. Nasa

Astronauts on the International Space Station enjoy a fascinating view of Earth. They orbit the planet every 90 minutes, so they see lots of sunrises, night city lights, blue ocean water, and colorful landscapes.
The best photos taken so far from the space station in 2021, which follow below, feature bright auroras, mesmerizing cultivation patterns, and stunning mountain ranges. Some astronauts try to find their birthplace on the globe, while others explore national parks to someday visit.
But as the climate crisis escalates, the crew may also see devastating wildfires burning, along with hurricanes like Ida and drought in the western United States. Astronauts say this extreme weather is “sad” and “worrying”.
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Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) drink every day in front of a breathtaking view.

the panoramic photo shows the deep blue caribbean sea with brown green islands spanning the curvature of the land — This composite photograph of Cuba, the Bahamas, and southern Florida was taken from the ISS on May 2, 2021. Nasa

Over 250 miles above Earth, they can see city lights, mountain ranges, major storms, and melting glaciers.

Istanbul city grid illuminated yellow gold at night with dark ocean waters and river dividing the city viewed from above — The night lights of Istanbul, Turkey, separated by the Bosphorus Strait and the Golden Horn, on May 10, 2021. Nasa

Since the space station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets per day.

the sun rises yellow orange above the dark surface of the earth below the blue atmosphere and black space above — The sun rises over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia, photographed from the space station, on May 20, 2021. Nasa

There are currently seven people on the station.

the yellow-brown mountain rises above a deep green forest — Mount Taranaki in New Zealand, captured from the ISS, on January 25, 2021. Roscosmos

Some of them, including European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, regularly post stunning photos on social media.

The tokyo city gate lit up green at night with thin dark rivers dividing the city seen from above — The night lights of Tokyo, Japan on February 27, 2021. Nasa

Agricultural areas can make beautiful patterns, like these farms in the desert. It’s not easy to pinpoint the exact locations from space, but Pesquet said it was somewhere in Africa.

desert dotted with blue and green circles of crops — A desert dotted with blue and green circles where crops grow, captured from the ISS. ESA / Thomas Pesquet

In some places, like Bolivia, these pretty patterns – and the cultures that grow there – come at the expense of clearing tropical forests.

agricultural areas create star-shaped patterns in the rainforest of bolivia — Astronaut Thomas Pesquet shared this image on Twitter with the caption: “Star-shaped patterns in San Pedro Limón, Bolivia, where areas of tropical dry forest have been cleared for agriculture.” ESA / Thomas Pesquet

When spaceships make their way to the station, carrying astronauts or supplies, those aboard the ISS often watch the rocket race towards them.

a sequence of light flares rise in the distance above the deep blue and black night clouds — The plasma trail from the Russian Progress 77 supply ship launched towards the ISS on July 26, 2021. Nasa

Astronauts don’t always know what they are looking at.

brown desert covered with rusty or shrub-colored earthen islands — The far eastern and desert part of Western Australia, May 14, 2021. Nasa

But sometimes they spot something distinct and dramatic, like a gas-spitting volcano.

the volcano emits steam above the snow-capped mountains — A volcano in the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka, captured from the ISS, on April 2, 2021. Roscosmos

Sometimes they even spy on their home country – like this photo taken by Pesquet of his hometown in Normandy, France.

normandy france coast purple yellow green speckled land against deep blue ocean — Astronaut Thomas Pesquet took this image of Normandy shortly after arriving at the International Space Station on April 28, 2021. ESA / NASA-T. Pesquet

“How can something so beautiful be tolerated by human eyes?” NASA astronaut Mike Massimino told the Washington Post, referring to his feelings the first time he saw Earth from above.

Cape Town's jagged mountainous coastline stretches out into the silvery waters of the Atlantic — Cape Town in South Africa is pictured with the reflection of the sun beaming off the southern Atlantic coast, captured from the ISS, on February 28, 2021. Roscosmos

Source: The Washington Post

But lately some of the views from the ISS have been more concerning.

“We were very saddened to see fires on huge sections of the Earth, not just in the United States,” McArthur told Insider on a recent call from the space station.

plumes of fire smoke rise from the Californian mountains surrounding a valley seen from space — Plumes of smoke rise from wildfires in Northern California on August 4, 2021. NASA / Megan McArthur

Other consequences of climate change are also easily visible from the ISS. “We can see all of these effects from here,” McArthur said.

melting glaciers flow into icy blue water

Pesquet photographed Hurricane Ida just hours before it hit Louisiana as a Category 4 storm.

hurricane ida swirling clouds dominate the earth seen from space — Hurricane Ida as a Category 2 storm on August 28, 2021. Nasa

“It’s worrying to see these weather phenomena getting stronger and more frequent from our perspective,” Pesquet said on Twitter.

hurricane ida cyclone seen through a window on the space station — Hurricane Ida as a Category 2 storm, photographed through a space station window on August 28, 2021. Nasa

Lately, astronauts may even see reservoirs dwindling along the Colorado River, which is experiencing its first official water shortage.

On the bright side, however, astronauts got a stunning view of the Aurora Australis earlier this month.

green striped aurora on the horizon against starry space background with shaded space station solar panels in the foreground — The aurora australis over the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica, photographed from the space station on August 2, 2021. Nasa

“I wasn’t surprised by the auroras, but I was a bit overwhelmed by how breathtaking they were and how fascinating it was to see them with my own eyes,” said McArthur.

An aurora green glow borders the curvature of the earth with a starry space behind it — The aurora australis over the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica, photographed from the space station on August 2, 2021. Nasa

McArthur has also explored which US national parks to visit with her husband – astronaut Bob Behnken – and their son once she returns to the ground.

Joshua Tree National Park seen from space Sand shrub rocky brown mountains — Joshua Tree National Park, photographed from space by astronaut Megan McArthur. NASA / Megan McArthur

Passing over the United States, she can see several national parks within minutes.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, gray granite mountains dotted with blue alpine lakes — Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, photographed from space by astronaut Megan McArthur. NASA / Megan McArthur

“The other thing we can see, of course, is the very thin lens of the atmosphere,” McArthur said.

fine orange atmosphere glowing against space stars above nighttime terrestrial city lights — The atmosphere shines over the southeastern coast of Africa, as seen from the International Space Station. Nasa

“This is what protects our Earth and everything on it,” she added. “We see how fragile it is and we know how important it is.”

land seen from space above the red sea and the meandering nile river in africa — The thin blue line of Earth’s atmosphere appears on the horizon beyond the Red Sea and the Nile in Africa on February 3, 2021. Nasa

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