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Over the United Kingdom to the Middle East

The series of shots for this time-lapse video were taken by the Expedition 61 crew on board the International Space Station on January 23, 2020 from 21:23:19 to 21:42:27 GMT. The video starts on a night pass over the United Kingdom area, then travels past the major cities of Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Katowice, Kyiv, and Tehran. Towards the end of the video, there is a cluster of blue lights just south of Kuwait City; these are most likely boats. Long periods of darkness is typically due to the ISS passing over a body of water. Cities will often line the coast of the water bodies; this video shows the North Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and the Persian Gulf.

Date posted: 2020/02/10

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-139294 to ISS061-E-141590

Over the Nile at Night

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 27, 2019 from 21:33:15 to 21:44:28 GMT, on a night pass from Italy to Saudi Arabia. The video begins overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and passes by the major cities of Athens, Cairo, Beirut, and other coastal cities along the Mediterranean. The Nile River is outlined by network of city lights, helping the shape of the river stand out against the dark of night. After passing over Egypt, the cities of Jeddah and Jizan glow along the coast of the Red Sea.

Date posted: 2019/12/30

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-61778 to ISS061-E-63040

From Morocco to Italy at Night

This time-lapse, taken by the Expedition 61 crew on the International Space Station on November 8, 2019 at 23:46:46 to 23:59:22 GMT, captures the nighttime lights of Casablanca and Rabat in Morocco and the distinct coastal lines within the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. As the ISS moves east across southern Europe, the bright lights of Madrid, Barcelona, and Milan appear before lightning filled clouds cover view.

Date posted: 2019/11/21

Compiled from frames ISS061-E-34971 to ISS061-E-36206

Over Western Europe at Night

An eastbound International Space Station advances across the European nightscape in this time-lapse from September 24th, 2019 at 19:25:40 to 19:32:16 GMT. To the left of the solar panel is northern Italy (0:03), followed by a cloud-covered glimpse of Slovenia and Croatia. On the northern coast of the Black Sea, Odessa shines bright at 0:15. The outline of the Black Sea extends until the patchwork of cities in eastern Turkey come into view. In the waning moments of this video, the Expedition 60 crew was able to get imagery of Baku, the Azerbaijani capital located on a peninsula in the Caspian Sea.

Date posted: 2019/10/17

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-79517 to ISS060-E-80317

From England to India at Night

The Expedition 60 crew captured a stormy evening over Eurasia as the International Space Station traveled from England to India on September 22, 2019 from 20:59:07 to 21:21:18 GMT. The time-lapse begins over a storm-obscured London (0:03) before Copenhagen and the Baltic Sea come in to focus (0:10). On the upper right of the video, Moscow appears covered in a halo of its own artificial light (0:25). Peeking out from beneath the clouds at (1:03) are the massive cities in the Punjab region of India, Lahore and Delhi. The ISS passes over heart of the Indian subcontinent before the time-lapse ends on the coast of the Bay of Bengal (1:22).

Date posted: 2019/10/17

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-74530 to ISS060-E-77192

Thick Clouds, Bright City Lights, & Flashes of Lightning

This video was taken by the Expedition 60 crew on August 09, 2019 at 22:34:00 to 22:05:03 GMT while onboard the International Space Station. The sequence begins over the Southern Atlantic Ocean and moves northeast across Africa. Amidst flashes of lightning, the nighttime lights of Tripoli stand out along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily and Southern Italy are then illuminated in the left of the frame, the shot continues northeast as major illuminated cities like, Athens, Istanbul, and Moscow come into view.

Date posted: 2019/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-56593 to ISS060-E-58456

Storms and City Lights At Night

This video was taken by the Expedition 60 crew on August 10, 2019 at 22:25:41 to 22:51:19 GMT while on board the International Space Station. The shot sweeps quickly over the Strait of Gibraltar, where the nighttime lights of Morocco and Spain illuminate the frame. Flashes of lightning speckle the scene, as the International Space Station travels across Italy and into eastern Europe.

Date posted: 2019/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-59387 to ISS060-E-60156

Above the Mediterranean Sea

This time-lapse, captured by the Expedition 60 crew on August 10, 2019 from 10:11:42 to 10:18:06 GMT, sweeps northeast from the coast of Tunisia, across Sicily, Italy, the Adriatic Sea, over the Carpathian Mountains, and ending over Russia.


Date posted: 2018/08/28

Compiled from frames ISS060-E-34299 to ISS060-E-34683

West Africa to the Alps - Dec. 2017

TThis time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on December 7, 2017 from 14:05:42 to 14:19:01 GMT, on a day pass from the north Atlantic Ocean to the Italian Alps. The video begins over the cloudy Atlantic Ocean and passes over clusters of islands. The western coast of Africa comes into view with dust blowing over from the Sahara Desert. The ISS continues over the African countries of Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, and Algeria. The Atlas Mountains are clearly visible along the Mediterranean coast. The narrow Strait of Gibraltar separates the Iberian Peninsula from Africa. Much of France and Italy are cloud covered, with the exception of the Alps.


Date posted: 2018/08/29

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-386864 to ISS053-E-388463

North Atlantic Ocean to Middle East - 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 on June 27, 2018 from 10:32:29 to 10:45:10 GMT, on a day pass from the north Atlantic Ocean to the Middle East. The video begins with nearly clear skies over Ireland and the United Kingdom. The ISS continues over France and cloud-covered Europe. The Alps are difficult to distinguish with clouds covering much of Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy. Traveling southeast, land is visible again over Turkey and around the Black Sea. The video ends while passing over the Middle East.


Date posted: 2018/08/16

Compiled from frames ISS056-E-42902 to ISS056-E-44424

Balearic Sea to Lake Turkana - Dec. 2017

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on December 6, 2017 from 21:32:28 to 21:49:15 GMT, on a pass from Spain to Kenya. The video begins with clouds over the Atlantic Ocean, and passes over the Balearic and Mediterranean Seas. Major cities are lit up and sunglint shimmers across the bodies of water. The video continues over the Sahara Desert towards East Africa and ends with sunglint highlighting Lake Turkana in Kenya.


Date posted: 2018/03/22

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-394450 to ISS053-E-396465

Ireland to Egypt at Night - Sept. 2017

This time-lapse video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on September 24, 2017 from 01:53:00 to 02:03:34 GMT, on a pass from Ireland to Egypt. The video begins over Dublin, Ireland and passes by the major cities of London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Turin, Rome, Istanbul, Athens, and Cairo. Major water features seen in this video include the English Channel, Mediterranean Sea, and the Nile River. The video ends just before sunrise.


Date posted: 2018/03/31

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-45404 to ISS053-E-46038

Atlantic Ocean to Kazakhstan

This video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots were taken on November 5, 2017 from 22:29:56 to 23:03:24 GMT, on a pass from the South Atlantic Ocean to Kazakhstan. The video begins with a calm, dark sky and the moon’s reflection lingering on the tops of clouds and the ocean surface. While travelling over Africa, the ISS passes several lightning storms that flash below like paparazzi. The lightning subsides when the ISS reaches the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf, and the Zagros Mountains that curve around off the coastline. The pass continues over Central Asia and Kazakhstan with heavy clouds, ending just before sunrise.


Date posted: 2017/12/14

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-145305 to ISS053-E-147302

United Kingdom down to Indian Ocean

This video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on September 27-28, 2017 from 23:54:41 to 00:16:12 GMT, on a pass from the northern Atlantic Ocean to the base of the Red Sea. The video starts with a view of the Aurora Borealis over the northern Atlantic Ocean. The first city lights seen are those of Ireland and England before continuing southeast over France and Switzerland. The dark area of The Alps separates France and Switzerland from Italy before continuing southeast over Greece and the island of Crete. The bright Nile River Delta begins the pass over Egypt, and the video finishes by flying down the Red Sea.


Date posted: 2017/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-51766 to ISS053-E-53010

Iberian Peninsula to Red Sea

This video was taken by the Expedition 53 crew on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on September 27-28, 2017 from 23:59:00 to 00:15:38 GMT, on a pass from the northern Atlantic Ocean to the base of the Red Sea. The video begins by looking along the border between Spain and France at night, where large cities like Madrid and Barcelona stand out. The pass continues southeast looking over the dark Mediterranean Sea, where the Balearic Islands stand out brightly. Continuing southeast, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula can be seen as the ISS approaches northern Africa and the bright city of Benghazi. The pass ends as the ISS passes over the Nile River and toward the Arabian Peninsula.


Date posted: 2017/10/03

Compiled from frames ISS053-E-54028 to ISS053-E-55026

Aurora and Moonglow over W. Europe

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on December 12, 2014 from 22:37:55 to 22:51:20 GMT, on a pass from the northern Atlantic Ocean, west of Ireland, to southern Egypt. This video begins looking east toward Great Britain and the Aurora Borealis as the ISS continues southeast over France and Germany. The Italian Peninsula stands out against the black Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, where the moonglow begins to show. This video ends looking east over Egypt and the Nile River Delta.


Date posted: 2015/01/22

Compiled from frames ISS042-E-35305 to ISS042-E-36025

Looking nadir from W. Europe to Red Sea

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 7, 2015 from 11:54:21 to 12:10:59 GMT, on a pass from the northern Atlantic Ocean, west of England, to eastern Somalia. This video looks straight down from the International Space Station (known as 'nadir') as the ISS passes over Western Europe and flies southeast toward the Red Sea. The pass begins flying toward the English Channel and France before the ISS passes over the Alps and down the Italian Peninsula. Immediately following the Italian Peninsula, Greece can be seen before the ISS flies over the Nile River Delta in Egypt and finally down the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula.


Date posted: 2015/01/22

Compiled from frames ISS042-E-104130 to ISS042-E-105128

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

Over the Strait of Gibraltar and Africa

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 34 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken on January 5, 2013 from 15:54:21 to 16:21:17 GMT, on a pass from the north Atlantic Ocean, west of the Iberian Peninsula, to the southern Indian Ocean, southeast of Madagascar. This video begins looking southeast toward the Iberian Peninsula. As the ISS continues southeast toward Africa, the Strait of Gibraltar can be seen separating the Iberian Peninsula and the clay-colored northern Africa. The pass then continues over the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, as the terminator line slowly appears from the left side of the video. Cloud shadows, known as crepuscular rays, are seen on the daylight side of the terminator. The video ends as the ISS travels into darkness.


Date posted: 2013/01/23

our Earth Observatory article about the Strait of Gibraltar
more about crepuscular rays

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

Compiled from frames ISS034-E-20414 to ISS034-E-21222

From Western Europe to Western Africa

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 11:06:04 to 11:16:05 GMT, on a pass the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal, to northern Cameroon. This video begins as the ISS is flying over the North Atlantic Ocean, looking east towards the Iberian Peninsula and the Strait of Gibraltar. As the ISS continues southeast towards Africa, the rust-colored sand dunes of the Sahara are seen as a solar panel is seen at the top of the screen. The pass ends as the ISS travels over the separating line between desert and tropical area.


Date posted: 2012/08/29

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-61101 to ISS031-E-61702

Western Europe and Arabian Peninsula at Dawn

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 31 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken from May 27, 2012 from 06:32:41 to 06:49:19 GMT, on a pass from the Celtic Sea, south of Ireland, to northeastern Ethiopia. This video begins looking southeast over France and Germany in Western Europe as the ISS passes southeast towards the Alps Mountains and the Italian Peninsula and the Adriatic Sea, then further southeast over the Balkan Peninsula. The pass continues over the Mediterranean Sea and over the Arabian Peninsula, and ends looking out over the Arabian Sea.


Date posted: 2012/07/20

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-93461 to ISS031-E-94459

From Tyrrhenian Sea to Libya

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 14:26:58 to 14:43:30 GMT, on a pass from the Tyrrhenian Sea, east of Spain, to central Libya. This short video begins looking east over the Mediterranean Sea at northern Africa and Sardinia and Corsica. As the ISS travels southeast, the clay color of the Libyan Desert contrasts the blue of the Mediterranean Sea before the pass ends overlooking the sand dunes of the desert.


Date posted: 2012/07/09

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-43350 to ISS031-E-43589

From Ireland to Somalia

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 11:52:53 to 12:09:28 GMT, on a pass from the Celtic Sea, south of Ireland, to northern Somalia. This video begins by looking southeast to northwestern Europe. As the ISS travels southeast over France, Germany, and other Western European countries, the Alps Mountains can be seen with snow cover on them. Continuing southeast over the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River delta can be seen before traveling over the Arabian Peninsula. The pass ends over the southern Arabian Peninsula, looking over the Arabian Sea.


Date posted: 2012/07/09

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-42296 to ISS031-E-43291

From Atlantic Ocean to Kazakhstan

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 the South Atlantic Ocean, south of Liberia, to northern Kazakhstan. This video shows the view out of all the windows in the Cupola, and begins by looking over the Atlantic Ocean. The ISS travels east towards Africa, with the clay-colored sands of the Sahara Desert. As the ISS crosses over Africa and then over the Mediterranean Sea, the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula stands out before traveling over Eastern Europe.


Date posted: 2012/06/14

Compiled from frames ISS031-E-25235 to ISS031-E-26560

From Atlantic Ocean to Poland

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 2, 2012 from 23:24:41 to 23:32:32 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Morocco, to southeastern Poland. This video begins looking behind the ISS at the Canary Islands and the North Atlantic Ocean. As the pass continues northeast, the lights of the Iberian Peninsula are seen through the clouds, where the cities of Lisbon and Madrid stand out well. The ISS continues northeast over France, where the city of Paris can be seen in the far right of the video. The video ends overlooking Germany, France, and other Western European countries.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-205393 to ISS030-E-205964

Western Europe to Sudan

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 01:17:16 to 01:32:02 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Celtic Sea, to eastern Sudan. This video begins looking ENE towards Ireland and the United Kingdom, along with the Aurora Borealis to the far north. As the pass continues southeast over Western Europe, the cities of Paris, London, and Rotterdam can be easily seen as bright city lights. The ISS then travels passed the Italian Peninsula under heavy cloud, making the larger cities of Rome and Naples blurry. The video ends over northern Africa, looking east towards the brightly-lit Nile River Delta.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-247968 to ISS030-E-248813

European City Lights

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 14, 2012 from 00:22:19 to 00:38:34 GMT, on a pass from the Celtic Sea, just south of Ireland, to eastern Ethiopia. This video begins looking ENE over Ireland and the United Kingdom, with the Aurora Borealis faintly shining to the north. Continuing southeast over the English Channel, the bright lights of Paris and other cities can be seen. The pass continues over the eastern half of the Italian Peninsula and overlooks the Balkan Peninsula under heavy cloud before traversing over the dark Mediterranean Sea. The pass ends as the ISS continues southeast over the Red Sea, where the bright lights of Jeddah stand out.


Date posted: 2012/05/30

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-255727 to ISS030-E-256712

Aurora Borealis over Europe

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken April 5, 2012 from 00:44:21 to 00:50:07 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Celtic Sea, to western Poland. This video was taken as the camera looked north towards the Aurora Borealis and the United Kingdom and Ireland. Once the ISS passes over the North Sea, the countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland can be seen, which are rarely able to be photographed from the ISS.


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-213639 to ISS030-E-213985

Aurora Borealis over Western Europe

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 28, 2012 from 01:52:41 to 02:02:57 GMT, on a pass from the Atlantic Ocean, just west of Africa, to southern Czech Republic. The first lights seen are those of the island of Madeira, off the northwestern coast of Africa. The pass continues northeast to the Iberian Peninsula, where the lights of Portual and Spain are seen before continuing into France and Germany. The city lights of Paris, London, Brussels, and Amsterdam are seen as the aurora lights up the sky.


Date posted: 2012/05/16

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-185371 to ISS030-E-185679

Over Spain at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 28, 2012 from 01:52:24 to 01:59:22 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Western Sahara, to northeastern Spain, near the Pyrenees. This video begins over the dark Atlantic Ocean, looking northeast at the Canary Islands. The pass continues northeast near the Strait of Gibraltar and the Iberian Peninsula, where Madrid stands out brightly in the middle of the peninsula. The video ends looking over southern France and the Balearic Islands.


Date posted: 2012/04/27

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-192014 to ISS030-E-192223

Spain to Germany at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 30, 2012 from 01:37:25 to 01:43:28 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal, to southern Germany. This video begins as the International Space Station travels northeast towards the Iberian Peninsula. The cities of Lisbon (near the dark coastline) and Madrid (near the center of the peninsula) can be seen well. The pass continues northeast over southern France, where Paris shines brightly near the left side of the video. The Italian Peninsula can be seen off to the right in the video as the pass ends over southern Germany and Austria.


Date posted: 2012/04/27

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-193718 to ISS030-E-193963

Algeria to Bulgaria at Night

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 28, 2012 from 00:23:04 to 00:27:08 GMT, on a pass from northeast Algeria, near the border of Tunisia, to western Bulgaria, near Sofia. This video begins as the International Space Station travels northeast over north-central Africa. The ISS flies over Tunisia before continuing over Sicily and the Boot of Italy. The pass ends as the ISS flies over the northern Balkan Peninsula.


Date posted: 2012/04/27

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-194760 to ISS030-E-195004

ISS over the Atlantic Ocean towards Russia

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 17, 2012 from 07:35:45 to 07:52:36 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Iberian Peninsula, to northern Kazakhstan. This video begins over the Atlantic Ocean, as the camera faces the Cupola and Earth. The Cupola can be seen with the top hatch open near the bottom of the video. Most of the view of Earth is obscured by clouds or snow, but some land is able to be distinguished through these obstructions.


Date posted: 2012/04/23

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-160120 to ISS030-E-161119

Western Africa to Croatia at Night

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 21:39:49 to 21:46:32 GMT, on a pass from western Algeria to southeastern Croatia along the Adriatic Sea. This video begins looking north from northwestern Africa towards the Strait of Gibraltar and the Iberian Peninsula. In the middle of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid, the capital and largest city of Spain, stands out brightly. As the pass continues northeast over the Mediterranean Sea, the coastline of France along with the Balearic Islands is seen. As the ISS continues to travel northeast, the northern half of Italy is seen under clouds before the pass ends over Croatia.


Date posted: 2012/04/23

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-176331 to ISS030-E-176734

ISS from Atlantic Ocean to Ukraine

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 10, 2012 from 07:42:00 to 07:59:44 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Liberia, to central Ukraine, north of the Black Sea. This video begins as the ISS heads over the terminator line, separating night and day on the Earth. As the pass continues over land, there is quite a bit of haze blocking the view of land, until the ISS continues over the clay-colored sands of northern Africa. The pass ends as the ISS is looking back at the Balkan Peninsula under heavy cloud.


Date posted: 2012/04/09

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-138408 to ISS030-E-139386

Atlantic Ocean East to New Zealand

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken March 10, 2012 from 07:42:00 to 08:39:50 GMT, on a pass from the Atlantic Ocean, west of Guinea in western Africa, to northern New Zealand. This video was taken as the crew faced the camera back at the Soyuz and down at the Earth, and represents around half of one orbit track. The video begins as the ISS crosses over the terminator line, which is the line separating day and night time. The first bit of land seen is that of northwestern Africa, where we can see the rusty colors of the Sahara Desert, including the dunes in the sand that look like ripples. Continuing northeast, the ISS passes over the southern half of Italy, which is over heavy cloud, and then on to the Balkan Peninsula (also under cloud). There is a brief jump in the video where the crew stopped acquiring imagery for approximately 20 minutes, and then resumed over the Philippine Sea. The video ends as the ISS is traveling southeast to the east of Australia.


Date posted: 2012/03/21

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-138408 to ISS030-E-140349

Across the Mediterranean 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 24, 2012 from 02:33:37 to 02:39:34 GMT, on a pass from northwestern Africa to the western coast of Italy. This video begins over the northwestern coast of Africa, looking northeast towards the Iberian Peninsula. The ISS continues to travel northeast with the Strait of Gibraltar to the west and the Mediterranean Sea below and to the east. The Canadian robotic arm blocks some of the view of Earth from the Cupola during this video. As the pass continues northeast, the Aurora Borealis can be seen far north from the ISS. The pass ends near Italy, where a few large cities, such as Milan and Rome, can be seen.


Date posted: 2012/02/22

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-71438 to ISS030-E-71795

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

Western Africa to Northern Kazakhstan

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 31, 2011 from 12:22:38 to 12:39:58 GMT, on a pass from northwest Africa, near Western Sahara, to northern Kazakhstan. The pass begins looking back from the ISS along the northwestern coast of Africa and the Atlantic Ocean. As the ISS tracks northeast, the Canary Islands can be seen just off the coast of Western Sahara and Morocco. The pass continues over the Strait of Gibraltar, eastern Spain, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. As the ISS continues northeast, it passes over the northern half of the Italian Peninsula before continuing over the snow-covered Balkan Peninsula. The pass ends as it continues east-northeast, but much of the ground is covered with snow.


Date posted: 2012/01/20

Earth Observatory article on the Strait of Gibraltar

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-30364 to ISS030-E-30624

Mediterranean Sea to Kazakhstan

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 02, 2012 from 10:35:30 to 10:46:38 GMT, on a pass from the south Mediterranean Sea, just east of Tunisia, to northern Kazakhstan. This pass begins looking back from the ISS toward Algeria and Tunisia. As the ISS travels northeast toward the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Tunis and the Gulf of Hammamet are seen, as well as an oblique view of Tunisia's capital city, Tunis. The pass continues over Sicily and the southern half of Italy, before continuing to the Balkan Peninsula. The pass ends over the snow-covered country of Kazakhstan.


Date posted: 2012/01/17

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-28525 to ISS030-E-28692

Stars over Switzerland to Saudi Arabia

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 22, 2011 from 20:58:50 to 21:09:35 GMT, on a pass starting over western Switzerland to the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula, over Saudi Arabia. This video focuses on stars overhead as the lights of Western Europe to the Arabian Peninsula fly by under the airglow of the Earth. The pass begins looking over the Adriatic and Ionian Seas toward Greece. As the ISS travels southeast toward the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the island of Cyprus and countries of Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan can be seen as brightly lit areas. To the left of track, more populated cities near the Persian Gulf are seen. The ISS continues southeast toward the less populated areas of southern Saudi Arabia before approaching the Indian Ocean.


Date posted: 2012/01/17

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-22740 to ISS030-E-22955

Aurora Borealis over Europe and the Middle East

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 21, 2011 from 18:43:53 to 18:56:44 GMT, on a pass from central Poland to northern India, over New Delhi. Throughout this video, the astronauts have the camera set up to look due north toward the pole. The pass begins looking toward the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland, where larger cities like Stockholm, Helsinki, and Riga stand out. As the pass continues southeast, Moscow stands out well as a large, bright city among smaller cities. The Aurora Borealis shines brightly to the north of these cities. Finally, the pass ends over northern India.


Date posted: 2012/01/05

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-14502 to ISS030-E-14861

Looking Behind the ISS at North Africa, Western Europe, and Across the Terminator

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 28, 2011 from 13:32:55 to 13:54:42 GMT, on a pass beginning just west of Africa, over Cape Verde, to eastern Kazakhstan. The video begins looking backtrack from the ISS toward the Atlantic Ocean, where the Cape Verde islands can be seen. As the ISS travels northeast, the western coast of Africa can be seen before traveling over the Strait of Gibraltar and toward Spain and Portugal. The snow-covered Alps Mountains can be seen as the ISS continues northeast toward Kazakhstan. The video ends with a great shot of the Terminator line, which is where the ISS passes into the Earth's nighttime hours.


Date posted: 2012/01/05

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-17452 to ISS030-E-17708

Day Pass over the Dunes in Africa to Snow-Covered Kazakhstan

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 29, 2011 from 10:59:09 to 11:21:09 GMT, on a pass from the Gulf of Guinea, just south of Cote d'Ivoire, to northern Kazakhstan. The pass begins looking behind the International Space Station toward the Atlantic Ocean before continuing northeast over northern Africa. The dunes in the deserts of northern Africa can be carefully seen. The pass continues over the Gulf of Sidra and the Mediterranean Sea to Greece, and on toward the Black Sea and the snow-covered Pontic Mountains. The pass ends over the snow-covered Kazakhstan before the ISS crosses over the Terminator.


Date posted: 2012/01/05

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-18382 to ISS030-E-18644

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

Over the Snow-Covered Alps

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 01:44:06 to 01:47:24 GMT, on a pass from France, just west of Paris, to the far south corner of Croatia, near the Adriatic Sea. This short video looks southeast from France toward the Italian Peninsula. Small Western European cities can be seen throughout the video as the Alps Mountains begin to appear with snow-covered tops. The snow can be differentiated from the surrounding cloud because the snow on the mountains appear very jagged, and the clouds to the north are very smooth. Further downtrack from the Alps, the Italian Peninsula appears under cloud as the track finishes over the Adriatic Sea and southern Croatia.


Date posted: 2011/12/20

Compiled from frames ISS030-E-12414 to ISS030-E-12513

Western to Eastern Europe

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken December 4, 2011 from 00:12:00 to 00:30:27 GMT, on a pass from just northwest of Morocco to central Kazakhstan. These are played side-by-side to show a wider perspective to the covered regions. The first thing that can be seen is Spain and Portugal, with Lisbon lit up brightly in the foreground near the Atlantic Ocean and Madrid in the middle of Spain. The pass continues into France, with the English Channel in the far left and the Italian Peninsula in the far right. Further down the pass and on the left video, the Baltic Sea appears as a dark patch surrounded by light as the ISS continues to the east-northeast towards Moscow, Russia. The pass continues toward central Russia before the sunrise in the east comes up.


Date posted: 2011/12/12

The two videos were shot simultaneously using different cameras: one pointing toward the northeast: high resolution or low resolution - and one pointing toward the east: high resolution or low resolution.

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Western Europe to the Arabian Peninsula

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 21, 2011 from 21:18:03 to 21:35:28 GMT, on a pass from just west of the United Kingdom over Ireland to just southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. At the beginning of this nighttime video, the main Western European cities stand out significantly. The English Channel is seen as a black pathway separating the United Kingdom and northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Large cities like London, Paris, and Brussels stand out as brightly-lit clusters of light. The pass continues southeast towards Slovenia and Croatia, with lightning storms by the Boot of Italy. The Black Sea comes up down the track as the dark patch amongst lights, which is due east of Turkey. Traveling further southeast, Cyprus and cities along the Mediterranean Sea coast stand out before the Syrian Desert on the Arabian Peninsula. Near the end of the video and in the southeastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula shows the populated cities of Dubai and Doha. This pass ends over the Arabian Sea.


Date posted: 2011/11/14

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Western Europe to Central India

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 19, 2011 from 19:59:21 to 20:18:56 GMT, on a pass from the North Atlantic Ocean, just west of France and the United Kingdom, to central India. The pass begins coming up on the lights of the United Kingdom and northwestern Europe. Larger cities like London, Paris, and Brussels stand out as very bright clusters of lights split by the English Channel. As the ISS continues southeast towards the Baltic Sea and Poland, the lights become more scarce, but cities like Warsaw still stand out. Just downtrack of this are more clouded regions in Ukraine and Russia, with Kyiv and Moscow lit under the clouds. The pass continues into the Middle East, where the India-Pakistan border shows with cities like Lahore, Islamabad, and New Delhi brightly-lit. The pass ends over central India looking southeast.


Date posted: 2011/11/07

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-38092 to ISS029-E-38475

Western Europe

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 00:47:28 to 01:02:56 GMT, on a pass beginning over the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Island of Newfoundland to the northern part of the Red Sea, over the Gulf of Suez and the Sinai Peninsula. At the beginning of the video, the Aurora Borealis can be seen in the far left along with clouds over the North Atlantic Ocean. Tracking southeast, the first view of lights is from the United Kingdom (Ireland, uptrack from the UK, is under cloud), with cities like Liverpool and London showing up nicely. Across the English Channel, the cities of Brussels and Rotterdam (left) and Paris (brightly-lit city west of Brussels) all stand out through a network of smaller cities in Western Europe. The pass continues over the snow-covered Alps and to the Italian Peninsula, where lightning storms cover the southern half of the peninsula. The ISS then tracks over the Mediterranean Sea, with Greece to the left of track, northern Africa right of track, and the island of Crete. Finally, the pass finishes near the Nile River Delta and the Red Sea.


Date posted: 2011/10/27

our article about Northwestern Europe and how to find the major cities

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Halfway around the World

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken October 8, 2011 from 20:53:10 to 21:24:58 GMT, on a long pass from the mid-Atlantic between South America and Africa ascending to the Balkan Peninsula, and rounding out on a descending pass southwest towards the Solomon Islands. The camera is west-looking, therefore the setting sun in the west is the first image seen throughout this sequence. The pass continues over the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, before hitting the Mediterranean Sea and the Balkan Peninsula. Finally, the ISS flies over Russia and Kazakhstan and begins the descending pass towards the southern Pacific Ocean. The faint lights from the Aurora Borealis can be seen near the end of the video.


Date posted: 2011/10/14

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-22493 to ISS029-E-23129

Night views over the Mediterranean Sea

This video over the Mediterranean Sea was taken by the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. This sequence of shots was taken October 6, 2011 from 22:58:09 to 23:13:15 GMT, on an ascending pass from just west of the Strait of Gilbaltar over the Atlantic Ocean to northern Kazakhstan. The first significant landmark is the Strait of Gibraltar, separating Spain and Morocco. As the pass continues down the Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic Islands stand out nicely contrasted with the water. Next, Corsica and Sardinia stand out before the Italian Peninsula. The pass continues over the northern Balkan Peninsula, with the Black Sea standing out as a dark patch among city lights.


Date posted: 2011/10/14

Compiled from frames ISS029-E-24213 to ISS029-E-24417