Astronaut Explains What It’s Like to Photograph Earth from the ISS

Yesterday, the official Twitter account of the International Space Station posted a short video interview in which NASA astronaut Doug Hurley explains what it’s like to try and capture the beauty of Earth from 250 miles above.

It’s a short video, but Col. Hurley tries to describe the feeling of looking down at the Earth from the edge of space, passing over recognizable landmarks and marveling at the beauty of it all—then trying your best to convey that feeling in every photo.

“Personally, it’s just trying to convey to as many people as we can … just what we see with our eyes when we look out the window up here. And how different it is to view the Earth from space than it is to be standing on the ground somewhere,” says Hurley. “[We’re] just trying to convey that it’s just an emotional response that you have when you look down at the planet.”

You can watch the full video below:

In the video, Hurley specifically mentions some of the landmarks that he loves best, like the Bahamas, the Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, and the American Midwest. He hasn’t published his own photos of all these spots just yet, but we’ve collected some of our favorite images he’s shared since he arrived to the ISS on May 31st, in the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft:

To keep up with Col. Hurley as he continues to capture the Earth from the ISS, give the astronaut a follow on Twitter and Instagram. And if you want to learn more about what it’s like to capture photos from the space station, check out this video by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

(via Digital Trends)

Image credits: All photos by Col. Doug Hurley/NASA.