Life In Space, In More Than 12,000 Photos

CNET is one of many sources carrying the stunning time-lapse photography of astronaut Alexander Gerst. Gerst assembled into a 6-minute movie 12,500 still images taken by cameras set up to document things like ISS docking procedures, but which ended up capturing quite a bit more: Images of auroras abound in the video below, as do spellbinding shots of humming cities at night, storms and flashes of lightning, all captured as the space station sailed overhead, traveling as fast as 17,000 miles per hour. Also keep an eye out for the eye of a tropical storm, a few fascinating docking and detachment operations with visiting spacecraft, as well as a nice token outward-looking time lapse of the Milky Way.

Comments

Awesome video. I wish I could see it in person.

[waferbuster]

Ok, so I watched the video twice, enjoying it immensely both times. It shows just how fragile that little slice of atmosphere is which shields us and allows us life. The soundtrack was was appropriate to the visuals, providing a sense of awe. And then, I come back to Slashdot, expecting to see respectful comments. Silly me, being surprised to find a bunch of wankers posting drivel. Come on, the video provides a sense of how humanity has impacted the viewing of our planet (note the nighttime shots which shows population density based on how we illuminate the night sky). How wonderful the aurora is, viewed from an angle few will ever see. Based on the existing comments, I weep for the future of our species. Based on the video, there is still hope.