Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Space
  3. Photography
  4. News

Check out these awesome Earth photos taken by a current ISS astronaut

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

After arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2021, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet was quick to grab the onboard cameras and start snapping photos of Earth some 250 miles below.

The French astronaut’s efforts have so far been nothing short of stunning, highlighting the magnificent array of landscapes that make our planet so special.

Recommended Videos

These are some of Pesquet’s efforts from his first few weeks on board the space station. With his stay scheduled to last another five months, we can expect to see plenty more awesome images from the astronaut.

The first image in this series shows the west coast of Africa beside the deep blue Atlantic Ocean.

I like when our trajectory leads us along a coast (West Africa here). Like sailing on a ship and flying in an airplane combined… best of both worlds! #MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/xIIQSwrx27

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 5, 2021

In this shot taken over Canada, Pesquet compares the ice formations to clouds.

From space you get another perspective. Looking at the ice in this lake in #Canada I see shapes… like when looking at clouds on Earth. ☁ #MissionAlpha https://t.co/rHG1m2yYRH pic.twitter.com/taPNTNidbM

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 7, 2021

Here we see Russia’s docked Soyuz spacecraft as the ISS passes over Cuba.

A view that brings back memories, the Soyuz that brought me to the @Space_Station in 2016 for #Proxima was docked to the exact same port. This one is @novitskiy_iss's, Pyotr's and @Astro_Sabot's, flying over Cuba. #MissionAlpha https://t.co/IdGQjXIadn pic.twitter.com/m6WiCpYgrb

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 10, 2021

Look carefully at this image, and you’ll spot a tiny town on the coast of northwest Africa.

Un des rares ports avant l’immensité du désert, dans le Sahara occidental. Deux routes fendent l’intérieur des terres, une autre longe l'océan, et c’est tout ☀
//
A town on the northwest coast of Africa. A road goes inland, and a road follows the ocean.https://t.co/mPMeJKL9uU pic.twitter.com/UVovztSSbA

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 10, 2021

Check out Pesquet’s impressive night shot of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Mecca! So bright at night that it ended up overexposed, as I wanted to see the city lights too. Happy end of Ramadan!

La Mecque ! Elle brillait si fort que la photo est un peu surexposée, mais je voulais absolument qu'on voit les lumières de la ville. Joyeuse fête ! #EidMubarak pic.twitter.com/q7hYk4efm1

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 12, 2021

Here we see the Quiberon Peninsula, a popular tourist spot located about 260 miles west of Paris.

I remember taking a picture of the Quiberon peninsular during #Proxima. It is funny to think that I recognise the area easily from space whereas unfortunately I didn't get to visit it for real before #MissionAlpha! #Bretagne pic.twitter.com/mq2K4Bz8d3

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 13, 2021

This one is an absolute stunner, showing the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea Bissau 🇬🇼, that I haven't seen since my last mission four years ago (no I didn't visit all the places I photograph from space, unfortunately! https://t.co/U9cV9J4ylL #MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/aWKeBuO7dg

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 14, 2021

Pesquet took this photo of the enormous Upsala Glacier, located about 450 miles northwest of Cape Horn, the southernmost land point of South America.

The Upsala glacier in Argentina. The majestic spectacle with slow ice waves that flow into the blue water is beautiful – but also worrying as we can see the glaciers are getting smaller from space. #MissionAlpha #ClimateChange #EarthFocus https://t.co/jbiqVMUHpa pic.twitter.com/LHUU8Yp0G4

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 15, 2021

Look closely at this image of Key West, and you’ll see the star-shaped airfield at the local naval air station.

The famous #KeyWest and the special Highway 1 that hops from island to island all the way south. The Naval Air Station Key West base is remarkable with its star-shaped airfield. https://t.co/5YC7vsfAbR #MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/uAoqZDjYUt

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 15, 2021

Here is a trio of gorgeous shots showing different places in Asia.

Spring has not taken over all of the northern hemisphere – three examples in Asia where snow can still be found. ❄ #MissionAlpha https://t.co/LongHxMHsf pic.twitter.com/iEGQloFCiu

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 16, 2021

There are more amazing colors in Pesquet’s photo showing part of Africa’s Sahara desert.

Hints of red and ochre, grey rocks and white clouds, flying over the Sahara (a plateau in #Chad here) is never boring. @astro_luca called it the skin of the Earth I think, and he is right, it does resemble skin. https://t.co/M0IOQ9LlS6 #MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/NEfwl9lsPz

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 17, 2021

Finally, this photo shows part of Africa’s White Nile, which, as Pesquet notes, is actually blue.

More #EarthArt around the White Nile, which is obviously blue in reality 🙂 https://t.co/DZQrJxEEg2 pic.twitter.com/ancuX35RMy

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 18, 2021

For more impressive Earth photos shot from the ISS, be sure to check out this collection of images taken by recent station visitor Soichi Noguchi.

Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Topics
Blue Origin successfully re-uses a New Glenn rocket for the first time ever
Blue Origin achieves first New Glenn reflight despite payload setback
Blue Origin

Blue Origin has achieved a major milestone in its spaceflight ambitions by successfully reusing a booster from its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket for the first time. The historic launch, conducted on April 19, marks a significant step forward for Jeff Bezos’ space company as it seeks to compete with rivals like SpaceX in the rapidly evolving commercial launch market.

A Milestone With A Mixed Outcome

Read more
Stunning close-up footage shows NASA’s moon rocket roaring to space
On its first crewed flight, NASA's lunar rocket displays its awesome power.
NASA's SLS rocket roars skyward at the start of the Artemis II mission on April 1, 2026.

As NASA’s Artemis II astronauts journey back to Earth following their breathtaking close encounter with the moon earlier this week, the space agency has just shared some stunning footage (below) of the rocket launch that sent the crew on its way on April 1.

The close-up tracking shot shows the awesome power of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s four core RS-25 engines together and its two solid rocket boosters as the 98-meter-tall vehicle roars away from the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Read more
How to watch NASA’s moon crew splash down at end of historic mission
The Orion spacecraft's final moments before splashdown will be the most perilous of the entire mission.
Earth and the moon as seen from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission in April 2026.

The Artemis II astronauts have looped around the moon, captured some extraordinary imagery (above), set a slew of records, and are now on their way back to Earth.

The 10-day mission will reach its climax on Friday, April 10, during a dramatic homecoming that will see the Orion spacecraft enter our planet’s atmosphere at a speed of nearly 25,000 miles per hour.

Read more