Crew Earth Observations Video Page

North America

world map Explore Africa videos Explore Eastern Europe videos Explore Northeast Asia videos Explore North America videos Explore Pacific ocean videos Explore Pacific ocean videos Explore Southeast Asia videos Explore South America videos Explore South Pacific videos Explore Western Europe videos Explore Indian ocean videos

A Night of Meteors & Auroras

The series of shots for this time-lapse video were taken by the Expedition 61 crew on board the International Space Station on January 04, 2020 from 11:09:00 to 11:33:50 GMT. On a night pass over the North Pacific Ocean, the ISS looks north and travels into the terminator line to capture a meteor shower, aurora borealis, and cities in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. What look like tiny white streaks flying towards Earth, are actually the meteors in the meteor shower.

Date posted: 2020/02/10

Want to learn more about the meteor shower from January 4, 2020? Read NASA's Earth Observatory article Watching Meteors from Space.

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-118803 to ISS061-E-120032

A Trip Up the North American East Coast

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 61 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on December 28, 2019 from 09:00:19 to 09:10:11 GMT, on a night pass over North America's east coast. The video starts over the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, then travels northeastern and passes by Birmingham and a cloudy Atlanta. As the ISS continues, it passes other cities like Richmond, VA, Charlotte, and Greensboro, NC. The long string of major cities illuminate this part of the east coast. Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA, then finally ends over the Bay of Fundy by Nova Scotia.

Date posted: 2020/02/10

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-108789 to ISS061-E-109973

Aurora Borealis & Cloudy Skies

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 61 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on November 17, 2019 from 07:36:08 to 07:52:44 GMT, on a night pass over North America. As the ISS travels from the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast, the astronauts looked towards Canada to capture these images. The clouds thin and disappear as the space station approaches the Canadian cities of Montreal and Quebec.

Date posted: 2019/12/30

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-50348 to ISS061-E-51676

Aurora Borealis Over North America

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 61 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on November 11, 2019 from 09:12:37 to 09:26:10 GMT, on a night pass over North America. The lights of the aurora dance along the earth limb, but fades as the ISS travels toward the terminator line. Between breaks of clouds, the snowy Columbia Mountains peak out as the ISS travels eastward over Alberta. The city lights of Edmonton and Saskatoon are visible, along with various smaller cities within Canada. Before crossing into daytime, Quebec City and Saguenay shine beneath the clouds.

Date posted: 2019/11/21

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-38363 to ISS061-E-39943

City Lights on the West Coast

This time-lapse, taken by the Expedition 61 crew on the International Space Station on November 3, 2019 at 09:09:52 to 09:23:26 GMT, captures the nighttime lights of southern California and the Baja Peninsula. As the ISS moves east across southern United States, the bright lights of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, appear before being taken over by the light from the sun.

Date posted: 2019/11/11

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-28515 to ISS061-E-28922

Aurora Borealis Over Canada

This time-lapse shows the Expedition 60 crew’s view as they travel over Canada and the Pacific Ocean on September 15, 2019 at 07:50:20 to 08:06:35 GMT. But the focus of this particular video isn’t the Earth – it’s the Aurora Borealis in the sky. The ribbon-like aurora, commonly known as the Northern Lights, snake through the Earth’s upper atmosphere with varying intensities. The frequency of aurora follows an 11 year solar activity cycle which is at its minimum in 2019/2020, but aurora still be visible from the International Space Station when it does occur. The time-lapse ends with one of the 16 sunrises visible from the ISS every day.

Date posted: 2019/10/17

Want to learn more about the Aurora Borealis? Visit NASA's About Auroras page.

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-68323 to ISS060-E-71000

North American West Coast at Night

This sequence of photographs from the Expedition 60 crew on September 24, 2019 at 08:45:08 to 08:55:44 GMT while on board the International Space Station captures the cities of the North American West. As the ISS travels over the coast, he crew set the camera eastward to capture the thin, long light-trail of Salt Lake City (0:07). The ISS moves south, with Las Vegas, NV taking center stage (0:10) before thunderstorms appear over Phoenix and Tucson, AZ (0:14). El Paso and Cuidad Juarez shine bright yellow above the Arizona cities. Other large cities in southeast Texas and northeast Mexico pass through the frames as the ISS descends toward Mexico City (0:23).

Date posted: 2019/10/17

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-78176 to ISS060-E-78812

City Lights of North and South America

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 28 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on August 19, 2011 from 07:21:54 to 07:51:18 GMT, on a night pass over North America and South America. As the space station travels from Washington, over Florida, towards Brazil, city lights radiate a yellow glow through the clouds. The rapid bursts of light occuring in many of the clouds is lightning.


Date posted: 2019/07/16

Compiled from frames ISS028-E-27849 to ISS028-E-28437

From Baja California to Quebec

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 59 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on June 6, 2019 from 19:12:26 to 19:35:32 GMT, on a day pass over North America. Starting over the Pacific Ocean by Baja California, the ISS is traveling northeast over the United States and parts of Canada. The Great Lakes and the Strait of Saint Lawrence can be seen through the breaks in the clouds.


Date posted: 2019/07/15

Compiled from frames ISS059-E-94000 to ISS059-E-95386

Earth Glow and Stars

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 59 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on May 10, 2019 from 07:05:57 to 07:30:05 GMT, on a night pass over the Pacific Ocean and North America. As the ISS travels northeast towards the United States, cities can be seen through some of the clouds and lightning storms. The quick bursts of light represent lightning in the clouds. Beyond Earth’s limb, many stars are visible from this vantage point of the Space Station.


Date posted: 2019/06/10

Compiled from frames ISS059-E-60045 to ISS059-E-60664

West Coast from North to South

This video was taken by the Expedition 59 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on May 1, 2019 from 18:14:05 to 18:21:37 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, just under Alaska, to Mexico. This path highlights natural features like the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Gulf of California, Chihuahuan Desert, and the Sierra Madrea Occidental Mountains. As the ISS travels over numerous mountains and deserts, it also passes over many large cities like Portland, Sacramento, and Phoenix.


Date posted: 2019/06/07

Compiled from frames ISS059-E-39079 to ISS059-E-39500

Central America to Quebec

This video was taken by the Expedition 59 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on May 7, 2019 from 06:38:30 to 06:52:36 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, just west of Costa Rica, to eastern Canada. The north-facing camera catches views of large cities like Mexico City, Houston, Atlanta, New York, and Boston stand out as the ISS flies over the Gulf of Mexico towards Quebec.


Date posted: 2019/06/07

Compiled from frames ISS059-E-59667 to ISS059-E-59951

North to Southeastern United States at Night

This video was taken by the Expedition 59 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on May 31, 2019 from 04:22:31 to 04:26:24 GMT, on a pass from central United States over Illinois, to the Atlantic Ocean just past Florida. This nighttime video displays the city lights over North America. The north we-facing camera catches views of large cities like Nashville, Atlanta, Charlottle, and Orlando stand out as the ISS flies toward the Atlantic Ocean


Date posted: 2019/06/07

Compiled from frames ISS059-E-86078 to ISS059-E-86229

West to East coast Aurora Borealis in North American

This video was taken by the Expedition 57 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on November 12, 2018 from 07:38:52 to 07:53:06 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, east of California, to Quebec near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The north-facing camera catches the Aurora Borealis over Canada as the ISS travels from eastern United States. Large cities like Portland, Seattle, Boise, and Spokane stand out as the ISS flies toward Quebec.


Date posted: 2019/06/07

Compiled from frames ISS057-E-86668 to ISS057-E-87948

Canada at night - Sept. 2018

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 56 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on September 18, 2018 from 08:03:15 to 08:14:13 GMT, on a night pass over Canada. The video begins along the British Columbia and Alberta border. Aurora Borealis over northern Canada hover above Earth’s surface with sunlight peeking through in the background. Major cities seen during this quick orbit over Canada include Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal. Beyond Earth’s limb, many stars are visible from this vantage point of the Space Station.


Date posted: 2018/10/17

Compiled from frames ISS056-E-179403 to ISS056-E-180719

Clouds and Continents - Jun. 2018

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 56 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken using a 16mm fisheye camera lens on June 21, 2018 from 15:19:25 to 16:09:25 GMT, on a day pass from The Pacific Ocean to Africa. The video begins over cloud covered waters of the Pacific Ocean and heads toward the western coast of North America. The first sight of land is the Baja peninsula of Mexico and quickly approaches the southwest US states of Arizona and Utah. The US midwest is mostly cloudy. Orange waters on the western edge of Lake Superior are the result of significant flooding in Duluth, MN at the time of the video. The ISS continues over the northern Atlantic Ocean and passes over Spain at the Strait of Gibraltar. As the ISS heads southeast across Africa, orange Saharan sands come into view and the video ends with a sunset over the cloud covered continent.


Date posted: 2018/06/26

Compiled from frames ISS056-E-25974 to ISS056-E-32016

Space Shuttle Discovery over Earth - Apr. 2010

This time-lapse video was taken by the STS-131 Mission crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken from April 12-16, 2010. The video is a compilation of time-lapse photos showing Space Shuttle Discovery docked at the ISS from various angles and times of day.


Date posted: 2018/06/08

Compiled from frames STS131-E-11693 to STS131-E-14268

Oregon to Yucatan Peninsula - Aug. 2017

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 52 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on August 24, 2017 from 22:08:24 to 22:20:38 GMT, on a NW-SE pass across North America. The video begins with clouds over the state of Oregon and passes over the midwest United States. A distinct feature seen in this video includes the two-toned waters of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The video continues past the Texas Gulf Coast and Hurricane Harvey can be seen in the Gulf of Mexico before it made landfall in Texas. The video ends while continuing south across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.


Date posted: 2018/04/22

Compiled from frames ISS052-E-73851 to ISS052-E-74538

Spectacular Aurora Borealis over Canada

This video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on September 28, 2017 from 07:38:56 to 07:55:34 GMT, on a pass from the northern Pacific Ocean, just south of Alaska, to the Gulf of Mexico, south of Florida. The north-facing camera catches the Aurora Borealis over Canada as the ISS travels from northwestern United States southeast. Large cities like Chicago, Nashville, and Atlanta stand out as the ISS flies southeast toward Florida.


Date posted: 2017/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-50761 to ISS053-E-51759

Aurora Borealis over North America

This video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on September 28, 2017 from 07:38:20 to 07:54:58 GMT, on a pass from the northern Pacific Ocean, just south of Alaska, to the Gulf of Mexico, south of Florida. The video begins looking at the Aurora Borealis over the northern Atlantic Ocean as the ISS approaches the northwestern United States and British Columbia. The city of lights of northern United States are seen as the ISS flies southeast, where the fracking lights in North Dakota can be seen left of track. As the ISS flies over eastern United States, more condensed city lights are seen as large cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago. The pass ends as the ISS approaches Florida and the southeastern United States.


Date posted: 2017/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-53022 to ISS053-E-54020

Mexico to Maine

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 9, 2015 from 08:48:01 to 08:55:08 GMT, on a pass from central Mexico, just north of Mexico City, to northeastern United States over Maine. This nighttime video begins by looking northeast over the Gulf Coast area, where cities from Matamoras, Mexico to New Orleans, Louisiana can be seen. As the ISS travels northeast, the larger cities of Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Detroit can be seen. The pass ends looking northeast over the New England area, where the city lights of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston can be recognized.


Date posted: 2015/01/22

Compiled from frames ISS042-E-137366 to ISS042-E-138505

East Coast of U.S. at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 11, 2015 from 09:45:14 to 09:54:05 GMT, on a pass from southern Mexico, just west of the Yucatan, to the northeastern United States, just east of Massachusetts. This video begins looking northeast over the Gulf of Mexico and toward the Gulf Coast of the United States at nighttime. Cities are visible from Houston to southern Florida. The pass continues over Alabama and Georgia and up the eastern coastline of the U.S., where large cities of Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York City can be seen. The video ends looking northeast over Cape Cod and the Aurora Borealis.


Date posted: 2015/01/22

Compiled from frames ISS042-E-130893 to ISS042-E-131906

Over the Central U.S. at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 10, 2015 from 10:34:36 to 10:44:09 GMT, on a pass from the eastern Pacific Ocean, west of Mexico, to the northeastern United States, over Pennsylvania. This video begins by looking northeast over Mexico before heavy cloud covers the city lights. As the cloud clears, southeastern Texas and the Gulf Coast are visible from Houston to New Orleans. The video continues over the Midwest as cities like Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago come up. The pass ends looking northeast toward Ontario and Quebec.


Date posted: 2015/01/22

Compiled from frames ISS042-E-121095 to ISS042-E-122241

Across the Eastern United States and Quebec

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 29, 2012 from 07:11:21 to 07:20:44 GMT, on a pass from western Texas to southeastern Quebec. This video is taken as the ISS travels northeast over the United States and eastern Canada, with the camera pointed toward the north and west. The video starts by looking toward Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Continuing on the pass, the cities of Denver and smaller cities in the central Great Plains are visible. The last large city before the end of the video is Minneapolis/St. Paul.


Date posted: 2014/02/10

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-56393 to ISS030-E-56956

From Night to Day to Night Again

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 34 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 3, 2013 from 11:43:46 to 15:49:31 GMT, on a pass from northwestern Australia, making two complete orbits to eastern Quebec, near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This fast-paced video features the ISS completing two and a half orbits around the Earth, crossing the terminator line several times in the process. The video begins as the ISS is in darkness, and as the moon rises on the left side of the video, the ISS begins to pass over into daylight. Clouds mostly obscure the view during this first daylight pass with the exception of the Caucasus and Elburz Mountains just before the terminator. The ISS slips back into night as the moon again rises in the left side of the video. As the Station flies back into daylight, the ISS flies over Central America, the Caribbean Sea, and Cuba and Florida before flying over the northern Atlantic Ocean. Most of Western Europe is under cloud, and the first land that can be seen is the Alps Mountains and Croatia. The ISS then passes over the terminator line again into darkness as the moon rises in the left side of the video. As the ISS passes back over into daylight, clouds obscure most of the Earth until near the end of the video, when it passes over the Baja Peninsula and the southwestern United States.


Date posted: 2013/01/23

Compiled from frames ISS034-E-16709 to ISS034-E-18545

City Lights of Southern Canada

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 34 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on December 15, 2012 from 05:10:55 to 05:18:58 GMT, on a pass from southeastern Alberta to the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of North Carolina. This video starts by looking southeast up track in southern Canada. The large cities of Winnipeg, Minneapolis, and Chicago can be seen just before Detroit and the northeastern cities of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Wasington, D.C. The video ends as the ISS passes over the dark Atlantic Ocean at night.


Date posted: 2013/01/23

Compiled from frames ISS034-E-13666 to ISS034-E-13827

From North to South America at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 34 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on December 16, 2012 from 05:48:48 to 06:21:54 GMT, on a pass from just south of the Aleutian Islands over the North Pacific Ocean to southeastern Brazil. This nighttime video displays the city lights over North America, Central America, and northeastern South America. The ISS starts over the North Pacific Ocean, and the first city lights that come into view are those of Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland in the Pacific Northwest. The pass continues southeast over the Great Plains and to the southeastern United States, where the outline of the Florida Peninsula is easily distinguished. The video concludes by flying over some Caribbean islands and finally over eastern South America.


Date posted: 2013/01/04

NEW- Click here for an annotated version of this video, which explains the geography throughout the time-lapse video.

Compiled from frames ISS034-E-8224 to ISS034-E-8886

Aurora Borealis from Central U.S.

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on February 7, 2012 from 05:11:54 to 05:17:54 GMT, on a pass from southern North Dakota to northeastern Canada. This video features the Aurora Borealis just north of a snow-covered Canada.


Date posted: 2012/10/29

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-114621 to ISS030-E-114981

City Lights from Gulf of Mexico to Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 31, 2012 from 05:20:01 to 05:32:04 GMT, on a pass from the Gulf of Mexico, just south of Louisiana, to the North Atlantic Ocean. This video features the eastern half of the United States and Canada at night. The video starts by looking west-northwest towards Dallas and Oklahoma City. The pass continues as the ISS travels northeast over Indianapolis and Chicago. The outline of the Michigan peninsula can be seen, as well as the city of Detroit in southeastern Michigan. The pass continues over southeastern Canada as the Aurora Borealis is seen near the limb of the atmosphere.


Date posted: 2012/10/29

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-105887 to ISS030-E-106610

Across the Pacific Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken from May 22, 2012 from 08:39:47 to 09:11:23 GMT, on a pass from southeast of New Zealand to northern Texas. This fast-paced video first features the Aurora Australis over the Southern Hemisphere as the stars shoot by over the Pacific Ocean. The video ends as the ISS travels over the southwestern United States.


Date posted: 2012/08/29

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-66034 to ISS031-E-66136

ISS over Eastern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken from May 18, 2012 from 17:42:41 to 17:47:10 GMT, on a pass from southern Illinois to east of the Bahamas. This video begins looking behind the ISS towards the Central Great Plains and the Mississippi River Embayment. The pass continues southeast over the southeastern United States, and flies over Florida and the Bahamas at the end of the pass.


Date posted: 2012/08/29

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-57221 to ISS031-E-57490

Storms over Caribbean and South America

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken from June 29, 2012 from 02:24:38 to 02:41:11 GMT, on a pass from the Caribbean Sea, near the border of Honduras and Nicaragua, to the South Atlantic Ocean, east of Brazil. This night pass begins looking southeast over the Caribbean Sea. The only thing visible to the camera are the several lightning strikes resembling storms over the sea. As the ISS continues southeast over South America, there are a small number of city lights seen before the ISS flies over the Atlantic Ocean, where another line of lightning storms is seen.


Date posted: 2012/07/20

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-169858 to ISS031-E-170189

ISS over Western North America

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken May 13, 2012 from 14:03:20 to 14:12:13 GMT, on a pass from western Arizona to central Quebec. This video was taken as the ISS traveled northeast over the western United States, with the camera facing north. The first view is that of northern California and the Sierra Madre Mountains. As the pass continues, the ISS travels over the Great Salt Lake and the Rocky Mountains. The pass ends going over North Dakota and over to Canada.


Date posted: 2012/07/09

Click here to learn more about the Great Salt Lake.

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-46366 to ISS031-E-46899

Western North and South America

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken May 16, 2012 from 21:01:11 to 21:17:45 GMT, on a pass from just west of California to west of Peru. This pass begins as the ISS is tracking south-southeast off the western coast of the United States. Southern California can be seen, as well as the large city of Los Angeles and the Baja Peninsula. Just to the south of the peninsula, smog can be seen off the coastline of Mexico. The pass continues south-southeast over the Pacific Ocean before the video ends looking at the western coast of South America.


Date posted: 2012/07/09

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-48208 to ISS031-E-49202

ISS Near Aurora Borealis

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 23, 2012 from 06:05:18 to 06:30:51 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of San Francisco, to just southeast of Buenos Aires. This fast-motion video focuses on the Aurora Borealis briefly, blurred city lights, and the rotating star trails. The video ends as the solar panels obstruct the view of the stars.


Date posted: 2012/06/14

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-271717 to ISS030-E-271798

From California to Mexico

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken May 14, 2012 from 21:12:29 to 21:21:35 GMT, on a pass from west of northern California to southern Mexico. This video begins looking southeast over California and the Pacific Ocean, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains off to the left of the video. As the ISS continues southeast, the large city of Los Angeles can be seen on the coastline, north of the Baja Peninsula. The pass ends overlooking northern Mexico.


Date posted: 2012/06/14

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-38585 to ISS031-E-39119

Western United States to Southern Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 22, 2012 from 05:25:59 to 05:56:38 GMT, on a pass from northern Nevada to just east of southern Argentina. This video is taken through the Cupola window as the ISS travels southeast over the United States and down to the Gulf of Mexico. The bright city lights of Denver, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston stand out as the Earth spins by rapidly. As the ISS travels over the dark Gulf of Mexico, the lights of the Yucatan Peninsula stand out before continuing southeast over southern Central America and northern South America. Most of South America is under heavy cloud and flashes of lightning can be seen before the pass ends over the Atlantic Ocean, east of Argentina.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-259556 to ISS030-E-259885

Aurora Borealis over Eastern North America

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 13, 2012 from 05:54:35 to 06:00:23 GMT, on a pass from south-central Ontario to the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Virginia. This video begins as the camera looks behind the ISS as it travels over southern Canada. The Aurora Borealis can be seen in several streaks to the north as the ISS travels ESE. The pass ends over New England and southern Quebec, where the lights of Montreal and Toronto can be seen, as well as the distinct shape of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-232972 to ISS030-E-233320

The Pacific Ocean Through the Cupola

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 31, 2012 from 06:27:11 to 06:48:15 GMT, on a pass from the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia, to southwestern New Mexico. This video is primarily focused on the Pacific Ocean through the Cupola window. As the ISS travels over the ocean, the lights from the islands of Hawaii stand out against the blue water. The pass continues southeast towards northwestern Central America and southwestern United States and ends looking at city lights over this region.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-212179 to ISS030-E-212602

From North America to South Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 22, 2012 from 05:25:48 to 05:57:20 GMT, on a pass from southwestern Idaho to the South Atlantic Ocean. This video was taken as the camera was pointed ENE over the northern United States and the Aurora Borealis. The ISS travels southeast over the United States in faster motion (long shutter speed). The pass continues over southeastern U.S., where the New Orleans area and the Florida Peninsula can be seen before traveling over the dark Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean islands. Continuing southeast, the ISS travels across South America, which is mostly under cloud. The pass ends over the dark Atlantic Ocean.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-260394 to ISS030-E-260709

Aurora Borealis across Northern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 13, 2012 from 05:50:21 to 06:01:19 GMT, on a pass from southern Canada, just north of Montana, to the North Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina. This video begins looking behind the ISS over southern Canada and the Aurora Borealis. As the ISS continues southeast towards Toronto and New England, the Great Lakes can be easily made out as dark features among many city lights. The video ends looking back at Cape Cod at night, as well as New York City, Long Island, and other New England cities.


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-229356 to ISS030-E-230014

City Lights over Eastern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 12, 2012 from 06:50:18 to 07:00:58 GMT, on a pass from northern Wisconsin to just east of Bermuda. This video begins as the camera is facing behind the ISS, looking at the larger cities of Minneapolis, and farther downtrack to Chicago and the peninsula of Michigan. As the ISS continues southeast, the cities of Detroit, as well as the Canadian city of Toronto, as seen very brightly before the ISS passes over the New England states. On the coastline, the city lights seen are those of New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The video ends over the Atlantic Ocean, looking back at the island of Bermuda.


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-227078 to ISS030-E-227695

Across the United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 13, 2012 from 07:26:02 to 07:38:59 GMT, on a pass from southwestern Canada to just north of Puerto Rico. This video begins looking back northwest as the ISS passes southeast over the northern United States and southwestern Canada. The cities of Seattle and Vancouver can be seen as the ISS travels southeast. As the ISS passes over the United States, the cities of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Atlanta are seen before the peninsula of Florida is seen.


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-230016 to ISS030-E-230793

Sunrise from the Cupola

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 25, 2012 from 14:04:51 to 14:17:28 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, south of the Gulf of Alaska, to western Pennsylvania. This video was taken looking out of the Cupola window as the sun is rising. The snow-covered Coast Mountains off the Pacific Coast are first to be seen as the ISS flies over southern Canada and the northern United States (mostly under cloud).


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-183000 to ISS030-E-183757

Western Quebec to Southern Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 25, 2012 from 11:04:11 to 11:45:06 GMT, on a pass from western Quebec to the Southern Ocean, near the Kerguelen Islands. This video begins over Quebec, where most of the ground is still covered in snow. The ISS travels southeast over the Atlantic Ocean, before reaching the Canary Islands and the clay-colored desert of northwestern Africa. The pass continues southeast over the Gulf of Guinea and south-central Africa, which is heavily covered by clouds. The pass ends over the Southern Ocean.


Date posted: 2012/04/27

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-179736 to ISS030-E-182110

Central United States at Daytime

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 4, 2012 from 18:03:20 to 18:06:43 GMT, on a pass from west Colorado, near Grand Junction, to central Minnesota. This video begins by looking back towards the southwestern United States and far northwestern Mexico. We can see the Baja Peninsula, the Grand Canyon, and snow-covered mountains. The pass continues northeast over the Rocky Mountains, before ending over Lake Oahe and the Missouri River.


Date posted: 2012/03/21

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-123366 to ISS030-E-123552

ISS over North U.S. and Canada Lights

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 31, 2012 from 06:57:12 to 07:05:15 GMT, on a pass from northwestern Kansas to eastern Quebec. The crew faced the camera looking behind at the Soyuz as the ISS tracks towards northeast. The video begins looking southwest from the ISS towards Dallas/Forth Worth, Oklahoma City, and Houston. As the pass continues northeast, cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago are seen. The Michigan Peninsula stands out well against the contrast of the Great Lakes as the ISS passes over to Ontario and Quebec, where we can see cities like Toronto and Montreal.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-110038 to ISS030-E-110521

Aurora Borealis over the Great Lakes and Canada

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 25, 2012 from 09:27:08 to 09:32:16 GMT, on a pass from northwestern Wisconsin to southeastern Quebec, near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This great video of the Aurora Borealis was captured as the ISS became very close to the aurora lights over Canada.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-102170 to ISS030-E-102477

Western United States towards Aurora Borealis

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 31, 2012 from 06:53:10 to 06:57:11 GMT, on a pass from the central Baja Peninsula to northwestern Kansas. This video begins over the Pacific Ocean as the International Space Station travels northeast near the Baja Peninsula and southern California. The brightly-lit city is Los Angeles, with San Diego just to the south. As the pass continues northeast, the lights of Phoenix and Las Vegas can be seen before the clouds and snow obstruct the city lights. A brighter city appears under the cloud, which is the city of Denver. The Aurora Borealis becomes brighter as the pass continues towards the midwest.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-107112 to ISS030-E-107581

Aurora Borealis from the Pacific Ocean to the U.S. Coast

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 8, 2012 from 10:32:23 to 10:36:25 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, south of Alaska, to the northwest corner of the United States. This video displays the Aurora Borealis over Canada and the North Pole, and shows the dynamic motions of the aurora near the beginning of the video. The pass begins looking north towards Alaska, where Anchorage can be seen faintly through the clouds and snow. The pass continues down the coastline towards the northwestern United States, where we can see the Coast Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-115686 to ISS030-E-115928

Aurora Borealis from U.S. to Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 3, 2012 from 05:46:17 to 05:53:28 GMT, on a pass from southeastern Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland and Labrador. In this video, the camera is focusing on the Aurora Borealis as the ISS travels east-northeast over Ontario and Quebec. The Manicouagan Reservoir can be seen through the snow in Quebec as the pass ends over the North Atlantic Ocean.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-110695 to ISS030-E-111126

Aurora Borealis from Pacific Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 22, 2012 from 12:09:56 to 12:15:59 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, west of San Francisco, California, to southeastern Saskatchewan. This video was taken as the ISS traveled northeast over the United States, focusing on the Aurora Borealis to the north. Obstructing the view is a pair of solar panels and a Canadian robotic arm.


Date posted: 2012/03/15

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-98602 to ISS030-E-98965

Over the Northern United States and Canada

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 5, 2012 from 05:23:05 to 05:30:41 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, west of the Baja Peninsula, to Lake Superior. The first land that can be seen over the Pacific Ocean during this pass is that of Guadalupe Island west of the Baja Peninsula. As the ISS travels northeast, the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles can be seen along the coastline near the right side of the video. Continuing northeast, the cities of Phoenix and Las Vegas are seen, until the ISS passes over Denver under cloud and snow. The pass ends looking southwest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.


Date posted: 2012/02/29

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-88797 to ISS030-E-89253

Stars over the Southern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 25, 2012 from 07:43:10 to 07:49:00 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico, to southern Mississippi. In this sequence, the crew focused the camera on the stars over the United States as the ISS traveled northeast from Mexico to the southeastern United States.


Date posted: 2012/02/29

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-84085 to ISS030-E-84340

Aurora Borealis over Canada

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 4, 2012 from 07:55:23 to 08:06:39 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, west of Oregon, to southwestern Quebec. This video was taken as the ISS traveled northeast, facing the camera towards the North Pole and focusing on the Aurora Borealis. The first land that is seen shows the snow-covered Coast and Rocky Mountains, along with the cities of Vancouver and Seattle along the coast. The rest of the pass looks at Canada under snow, as the ISS passes over arms of the Aurora.


Date posted: 2012/02/29

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-84614 to ISS030-E-85290

Stars over Eastern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 23, 2012 from 08:04:13 to 08:17:25 GMT, on a pass from the Gulf of Mexico, west of the Yucatan Peninsula, to the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland and Labrador. This video mainly focuses on the star field while the ISS travels over the eastern United States, Canada, and over the North Atlantic Ocean. Because of the rate at which the astronauts took the images, the video is sped up and therefore shows the rotation of the stars much more easily. The camera also captures the Aurora Borealis close to the ISS.


Date posted: 2012/02/22

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-72899 to ISS030-E-73163

Mexico to Florida at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 29, 2012 from 05:34:12 to 05:38:00 GMT, on a pass from southeastern Mexico to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, near Tampa, Florida. This video begins looking northwest from southeastern Mexico towards Mexico City and continues northeast over the Gulf of Mexico to see Houston and New Orleans lit up at night. The pass ends over the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico, looking straight at New Orleans and the lights from oil rigs in the water as the moon is setting in the west.


Date posted: 2012/02/22

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-75432 to ISS030-E-75660

Aurora Borealis over the Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 1, 2012 from 06:11:12 to 06:16:49 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland and Labrador, to the Celtic Sea, northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. This video focuses mainly on the Aurora Borealis as the ISS passes over the North Atlantic Ocean. The moon is seen setting, as well as the variety of colors produced by the Aurora Borealis.


Date posted: 2012/02/22

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-73375 to ISS030-E-73704

The Milky Way, Stars, and Aurora Borealis

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 23, 2012 from 08:01:56 to 08:16:08 GMT, on a pass from the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Mexico, to the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland. This video focuses on the stars over the Caribbean Sea, the eastern United States, and southeastern Canada. The Milky Way can be faintly seen throughout the star field as the ISS travels northeast over the Caribbean Sea and towards the southeastern United States. As the ISS continues northeast , lightning flashes can be seen over the southeastern United States before flying over Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City. The pass ends over southeastern Quebec and the New Brunswick area.


Date posted: 2012/02/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-68896 to ISS030-E-69180

Aurora Borealis over the North Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 2, 2012 from 05:15:04 to 05:19:01 GMT, on a pass over the North Atlantic Ocean, from east of Newfoundland and Labrador to just west of Ireland and the Celtic Sea. In this video, the camera is looking due north towards the North Pole as the ISS flies over the North Atlantic Ocean. The half circle of the Aurora Borealis can be seen very well in this video, as it circles around the North Pole with beautiful colors.


Date posted: 2012/02/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-63325 to ISS030-E-63562

Moonglow over Canada and Northern U.S.

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken February 4, 2012 from 07:55:38 to 08:11:19 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, just west of Oregon, to the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Nova Scotia. This pass begins over the cloudy North Pacific Ocean, looking back at the Soyuz. As the ISS begins to fly over land, the camera points southwest towards San Francisco and Seattle. The pass continues over southern Canada, where smaller cities can be seen. The glow from the moonlight illuminates small rivers throughout the video. As the pass continues over Canada, most of the land is covered with snow. The video finishes as the ISS passes over the New England and southeastern Canada region, looking southwest towards Montreal and Cape Cod areas.


Date posted: 2012/02/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-66862 to ISS030-E-67803

Up the East Coast of North America

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 29, 2012 from 05:33:11 to 05:48:10 GMT, on a pass from just southwest of Mexico to the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Newfoundland. This pass begins looking over Central America towards the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States. As the ISS travels northeast over the gulf, some southeastern United States cities can be distinguished, like New Orleans, Mobile, Jacksonville, and Atlanta. Continuing up the east coast, some northeastern states, like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City stand out brightly along the coastline. The Aurora Borealis shines in the background as the pass finishes near Newfoundland.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-55312 to ISS030-E-56211

Across Southwest Canada at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 25, 2012 from 12:34:11 to 12:36:28 GMT, on a pass from near the border of British Columbia and Washington state, near Vancouver Island, to southern Alberta, near Calgary. The main focus of this video is the Aurora Borealis over Canada, which appears very near the ISS during this short video.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-51180 to ISS030-E-51317

Mexico to New Brunswick

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 30, 2012 from 06:13:36 to 06:23:09 GMT, on a pass from northern Mexico to northwest New Brunswick. This video begins looking northeast over Texas, where cities like San Antonio, Houston, and the Dallas/Fort Worth area can be seen. Continuing northeast over the Great Plains states, cities like Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and St. Louis can be easily distinguished. The pass continues over the familiar shape of the Michigan Peninsula, with Chicago at the south edge of Lake Michigan. As the ISS continues northeast, the Aurora Borealis can be seen over Canada.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-58303 to ISS030-E-58876

North Dakota to Central Quebec

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 26, 2012 from 10:04:56 to 10:10:42 GMT, on a pass from North Dakota to central Quebec. This video focuses on the Aurora Borealis over Canada as the International Space Station traveled from the northern United States to eastern Canada. The aurora can be seen near the ISS, and small patches of the green light can be seen dancing around.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-53334 to ISS030-E-53680

Central Great Plains at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 30, 2012 from 06:14:22 to 06:19:03 GMT, on a pass from northern Mexico, near the Texas/Mexico border, to eastern Indiana, near Cincinnati, Ohio. This pass begins as the International Space Station travels northeast looking northwest. The brighter city lights are those of the southwestern United States, like Phoenix and El Paso. The pass continues up the Great Plains, where the city lights of Oklahoma City and Tulsa can be seen before continuing northeast towards Kansas City. The last city that is easily seen is Chicago, while the Aurora Borealis is shining to the far north.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-57250 to ISS030-E-57531

Aurora Borealis over Northern North America and Canada

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 29, 2012 from 10:18:13 to 10:31:28 GMT, on a pass from the North Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,000 miles west of California, to western Quebec. This video begins as the ISS is passing over the dark waters of the North Pacific Ocean northeast towards Vancouver Island. The Aurora Borealis can be seen far north, where both the under side and top of the aurora are visible. The pass continues over Canada until the sun begins to come up in the east while over Quebec.


Date posted: 2012/02/03

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-52115 to ISS030-E-52864

Moonset over the Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 9, 2012 from 11:45:52 to 11:55:44 GMT, on a pass over the North Atlantic Ocean. This sequence of shots was taken as the ISS was traveling northeast over the Atlantic Ocean. Beginning northeast of the Caribbean islands, the crew pointed the camera towards the full Moon to show the moon setting over the horizon. The pass ends west of Western Europe, still over the ocean.


Date posted: 2012/01/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-46575 to ISS030-E-46853

Looking Nadir: Central America to New England

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 2, 2012 from 15:01:52 to 15:12:32 GMT, on a pass from just west of Central America to east of New England in North America. This unique video looks directly down at the Earth (nadir) from the nadir-looking Cupola window. The pass begins looking down at the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, and the first land that is seen is that of Costa Rica and Panama. The ISS continues northeast over the Caribbean Sea before flying over Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and western Haiti. Passing these islands, the ISS flies over the shallow waters surrounding Great Inagua Island, Acklins Island, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The pass ends as the ISS flies northeast over the Atlantic Ocean, just east of the eastern coast of the United States.


Date posted: 2012/01/20

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-34990 to ISS030-E-35150

Northeastern United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 11, 2011 from 01:26:52 to 01:32:03 GMT, on a pass from northern North Carolina to just South of Nova Scotia. This short video mostly features the larger cities of the New England area in northeast United States. Some cities that can be easily seen are Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.


Date posted: 2011/12/20

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-11361 to ISS030-E-11442

Aurora Borealis over the North Atlantic Ocean

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 11, 2011 from 01:35:52 to 01:45:54 GMT, on a pass from northeast of Nova Scotia to northern Italy. In this video, the camera is pointing toward the north as the ISS passes from an ascending to a descending orbit pass. As the ISS tracks over the North Atlantic Ocean, the camera captures the Aurora Borealis before flying over Western Europe.


Date posted: 2011/12/20

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-11450 to ISS030-E-11751

Down the American West Coast

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken November 16, 2011 from 21:44:43 to 21:55:23 GMT, on a pass over the Pacific Ocean, from just west of California to just west of Costa Rica and Panama in Central America. The camera in the cupola is facing west-southwest towards North and Central America. The pass begins looking just north of the Baja Peninsula, where Los Angeles and San Diego can carefully be seen near the coast. Continuing down the Baja Peninsula and the Gulf of California, the pass continues looking into Mexico. Finally, as the cloud cover thickens, the pass closes over Central America, looking far west at Costa Rica and Honduras.


Date posted: 2011/12/12

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-42832 to ISS029-E-42960

Mexico and the Eastern United States

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken November 24, 2011 from 07:30:58 to 07:59:07 GMT, on a pass over the South Pacific Ocean northeast to the North Atlantic Ocean, just east of Newfoundland. The video begins over the dark Pacific Ocean as the ISS travels northeast towards the western coast of Mexico. The bright lights of Mexico City can be seen left of track, along with the lights of Honduras and Guatemala just right of track. The pass continues over the Yucatan Peninsula, where Cozumel and Merida are visible as brighter spots on the peninsula. As the ISS tracks northeast over the Caribbean Sea, southeastern United States becomes visible, with the Florida Peninsula standing out well. The city lights of the larger cities such as Miami, Tampa, and Orlando light up the peninsula. The pass ends by tracking up the eastern coast of the United States, where Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York City stand out.


Date posted: 2011/12/02

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-5779 to ISS030-E-6314

Across the Northern United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 15, 2011 from 03:42:54 to 03:52:36 GMT, on a pass from just west of San Francisco, California over the Pacific Ocean to the southern tip of the Hudson Bay. The video begins as the ISS is just west of San Francisco flying northeast. The coastal lights distinguish the land and water here. The pass continues northeast toward Wyoming and North Dakota, before crossing over into Canada. From here, the Aurora Borealis is seen, with an interesting looking angle from underneath the lights. A blanket of clouds cover Manitoba and Ontario as the ISS tracks closer to the Northern Lights.


Date posted: 2011/11/22

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-39277 to ISS029-E-39465

Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 18, 2011 from 07:14:24 to 07:30:18 GMT, on a pass starting just over Vancouver Island to the Caribbean Sea, north of Aruba. This video was taken during the same time period as "Aurora Borealis and eastern United States", but with an eastern-facing camera opposite to the previous north-facing camera. The two videos give two different perspectives of this single pass down Canada and the central United States. The last bit of this video flies over the Caribbean Sea towards the Lesser Antilles.


Date posted: 2011/10/21

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-29090 to ISS029-E-29408

Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 18, 2011 from 07:09:06 to 07:27:42 GMT, on a pass from just south of Alaska to eastern Cuba. The camera used for this imagery was north-facing, so the Aurora Borealis stay visible throughout the video. Lights from southern Canada show up before passing into central North America. Through the clouds, the peninsula of Michigan can be seen, with Chicago brightly lit at the south end of Lake Michigan. A few lightning storms can be seen in the large cloud mass over the Central United States. Finally, many large cities can be seen on the East Coast of the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia. Near the end of the video, the eastern half of the Florida peninsula can be seen, as well as the lighter shallow waters of the Bahamas.


Date posted: 2011/10/21

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-28537 to ISS029-E-28909

Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 16, 2011 from 09:07:37 to 09:24:10 GMT, on a pass beginning just south of the Gulf of Alaska in the eastern Pacific Ocean to Central America near the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. The Aurora Borealis is shown near the beginning of the video over Canada as the ISS continues the pass southeast into North America. The first lights seen on the coast of the western United States are those of southern British Columbia, Vancouver Island, and Washington state. The pass continues through the Rocky Mountains, where Denver, Colorado can be easily spotted as a bright cluster of lights amongst many strings of smaller cities. Finally, the pass follows down the central part of the United States, showing the bright cities of Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas. The lights of oil platforms just south of Louisiana can be spotted as smaller lights in the Gulf of Mexico. The pass ends over the Caribbean Sea.


Date posted: 2011/10/21

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-28110 to ISS029-E-28441

Atlantic Ocean to Africa

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 15, 2011 from 02:22:10 to 02:41:01 GMT, on a pass from just northeast of the Island of Newfoundland over the North Atlantic Ocean to central Africa, over South Sudan. The very beginning of the video, in the left of the screen, the Aurora Borealis can be seen. As the ISS heads southeast over the Atlantic Ocean, the lights of Spain and Portugal can be seen coming up in the distance, with France to the north (left of screen). As the ISS flies over the Mediterranean, the Balearic Islands show up well before the deserts in northern Africa. The darker patches seen through the Libyan Desert are rock outcrops amidst miles of sand dunes. The pass ends over central Africa, as forested areas begin to appear in a more moist atmosphere.


Date posted: 2011/10/21

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-26106 to ISS029-E-26483

Day Pass through Western United States

This video over the Western United States was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. This sequence of shots was taken September 24, 2011 from 17:45:14 to 17:54:18 GMT, on a descending pass from just west of Washington state to the Gulf of Mexico, due east of Corpus Christi, Texas. At the beginning of this short video, the Cascade Mountain range can be seen with a couple of fires near the right side of the video. Next, the ISS passes over the Great Salt Lake in Utah and, shortly after, the Rocky Mountains. The Great Plains and Texas show up near the end of the video, which ends over the Gulf of Mexico.


Date posted: 2011/10/11

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-15205 to ISS029-E-15378

Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night

This video of the United States at night and the Aurora Borealis was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. This sequence of shots was taken September 29, 2011 from 07:58:04 to 08:09:47 GMT, on an ascending pass from southwestern United States up to southeastern Quebec. The outline of the Michigan peninsula can be clearly seen approximately halfway through the video, with well-known cities like Chicago standing out well The haze seen over the bright lights on the surface are likely night time clouds over the area. Near the end of the video, the Aurora Borealis over eastern Canada can be seen until the sunrise in the east slowly comes out.


Date posted: 2011/10/05

Click here to read our article featuring a still image from this video.

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-12487 to ISS029-E-12665

Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night

This video was taken on August 19, 2011 from 08:56:00 to 09:22:18 GMT from the ISS. This pass begins just southeast of Alaska, and the first cities that the ISS passes over (seen approximately 10 seconds into the video) is San Francisco and the surrounding areas. If one looks very carefully, you can spot where the Golden Gate Bridge is located: a smaller strip of lights just before the city of San Francisco, nearest to the clouds on the right of the image. Very obvious lightning storms can be seen on the Pacific Ocean coastline, with clouds overhead. As the video continues, the ISS passes over Central America (green lights can be seen here), with the Yucatan Peninsula on the left. The pass ends as the ISS is over the capital city of Bolivia, La Paz.


Date posted: 2011/09/22

Compiled from frames ISS028-E-33150 to ISS028-E-33676

Hurricane Irene Hits the US

This series of still frames was taken as the International Space Station was tracking northeastward toward the eastern coast of the United States. The imagery was taken by the Expedition 28 crew on August 26, 2011, from 20:28:27 - 20:30:22 GMT (4:28:27 - 4:30:22 EDT). The astronauts onboard the ISS captured this series of still frames as Hurricane Irene, a category 1 storm at the time, made landfall into the coast of North Carolina.


Date posted: 2011/09/22

Compiled from frames ISS028-E-34203 to ISS028-E-34260

ISS pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay

This sequence of still frames was acquired as the International Space Station was tracking east-northeastward across the United States. The sequence begins over the Pacific Ocean as the ISS headed toward the Baja peninsula, and continues northeast through the northern Great Plains, with heavier cloud cover shown near the midwest. The video ends as the ISS is flying over the Great Lakes, and finally near Hudson Bay (left of track).


Date posted: 2011/09/22

Compiled from frames ISS028-E-35765 to ISS028-E-36023

Cuba and the Bahamas

This short video shows the cloudy island of Cuba and the Bahamas as the International Space Station flies from the Caribbean Sea northeast to the Atlantic Ocean. These shots were taken from onboard the ISS on August 31, 2011, from 17:10:36 to 17:16:01 GMT. In the video, you can see Cuba is mostly covered by clouds, but the reefs in the Bahamas stand out quite nicely.


Date posted: 2011/09/22

Compiled from frames ISS028-E-35645 to ISS028-E-35710