NASA Astronaut Shares Stunning Time-Lapse Capturing Earth’s Full Cycle from ISS

According to the Economic Desk of Webangah News Agency, Zena Cardman, a NASA astronaut who returned from the International Space Station (ISS) in January after an assignment lasting just over five months, has shared a magnificent time-lapse video this week. Cardman herself described the footage as capturing “a little bit of everything,” featuring scenes that include sunsets, powerful thunderstorms, atmospheric glows, lunar reflections, the vastness of the stars, sunrises, and even a docked Dragon spacecraft immersed in the constantly shifting light.

In a post accompanying the video, Cardman noted that while the space station rarely undergoes major directional changes, the crew was fortunate enough to experience such maneuvers, which contributed to the variety of shots captured. The time-lapse was accelerated by a factor of 60.

The International Space Station orbits the Earth at a velocity of approximately 28,000 kilometers per hour, completing about 16 circuits of the planet over a 24-hour period. This rapid pace means that astronauts aboard the ISS witness approximately 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets daily.

Many astronauts take advantage of their free time in orbit to capture stunning images of the Earth or set up time-lapse sequences, whether observing the planet during daylight or darkness.

The French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, for instance, published a book showcasing his impressive visual documentation from space. Pesquet meticulously planned his time on the ISS, stepping away from his scientific duties for brief moments when he knew the station would pass over a visually striking section of the planet. He would capture breathtaking images with his camera and subsequently share them across social media platforms.

Similarly, American astronaut Don Pettit has also gained recognition for the astonishing visual works he recorded while stationed aboard the ISS, with some of his more surreal images garnering widespread acclaim.