Top twitpics: the view from space

A collection of the most stunning photos taken by a US astronaut over the Earth.

US NASA ASTRONAUT Douglas H Wheelock and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi have been capturing incredible photos of the Earth from space as they travel on board the International Space Station.

Wheelock, who is still on board the ISS, has been publishing them via his @Astro_Wheels twitter feed, and Noguchi on his @Astro_Soichi account.

Noguchi was on the ISS from December 2009 until June 2010.
TheJournal.ie has put together a collection of those images below. The astronauts’ accompanying twitter messages provide some background information on each photo.

Top twitpics: the view from space

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Space
The ‘Cupola’, attached to the nadir side of the Space Station, gives a panoramic view of our beautiful planet. Fyodor took this picture from the window of the Russian Docking Compartment (Airlock). Here I am in the Cupola preparing a camera for our late evening Hurricane Earl flyover…trying to capture the moment… (@Astro_Wheels)
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Male international airport, Maldives. Runway is 3,200m long. (@Astro_Soichi)
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We support Copiapo, Chile! Our thoughts and prayers are with 33 brave survivors, trapped 701 meters below. #chile (@Astro_Soichi)
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Our thoughts and prayers to Christchurch, New Zealand. M7.1 hit this city on Sep 4. #earthquake #nzjp #quake #nz (@Astro_Soichi)
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Ireland. I should have sent it last week. Happy belated St.Patrick's Day! (@Astro_Soichi)
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London, England. Can you find Big Ben? (@Astro_Soichi)
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Out over the central Atlantic, just before another spectacular sunset, with the spiral bands of Hurricane Earl visible in the setting sun. An interesting view of the life-giving energy of our sun. The solar arrays on the port side of the Space Station as well as Hurricane Earl…both gathering the last bit of energy before they fall into eclipse. (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
An explosion of color, motion, and life painted on the canvas of our wonderful world. This is a section of the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast of Australia, captured through a 1200mm lens. I think even the great Impressionists would be awestruck with this natural display. (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
The Isles of Greece during a clear night pass over Europe. Athens shining brightly along the Mediterranean Sea. A very surreal feeling to view the splendor of this ancient land from outer space. (@Astro_Wheels)
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‘Hurricane Danielle’ – as we passed directly overhead this evening in the central Atlantic. I’m not a tropical storm expert by any means, but Danielle looks very well-organized with a very well-defined eye. The storm looks spectacularly peaceful from this vantage point…but, I can only imagine the tempest below those clouds. Many thoughts and prayers from space for a favorable path. (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
The beauty of Italy, on a clear summer night, stretching out into the Mediterranean Sea. You can see many of the beautiful islands lit up and adorning the coastline including Capri, Sicily, and Malta. The city of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius stand out along the coast. Viva Esperia! (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day…?” A clear beautiful summer day in Acapulco , Mexico . Now that things are back to normal operations aboard the Space Station, I’ve been able to look out the windows a bit more and soak in the waning summer. I am careful not to wish away time, but I am excited to soon see the colors of the Autumn…my favorite season. (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
“The City That Never Sleeps”… New York , New York on a clear summer night. (@Astro_Wheels)
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"Fly me to the Moon…let me dance among the Stars…” I hope we never lose our sense of wonder. A passion for exploration and discovery is a noble legacy to leave to our children. I hope we set our sails and venture out one day. That will be one glorious day… (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
Over the Sahara Desert approaching ancient lands and thousands of years of history. The Nile River flowing through Egypt past the pyramids of Giza up to Cairo in the delta; the Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Dead Sea; Jordan River; and the Sea of Galilee are visible, as are the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea and Greece coming over the horizon. (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
Of all the places on our glorious planet, few rival the brilliant colors of The Bahamas. Here is a view of our Progress-37 re-supply spacecraft, with the islands of The Bahamas as a backdrop. What a wonderful world! (@Astro_Wheels)
Space
I have been enjoying the stunning and unique landscape of South America, and often find myself without words to describe the beauty. Here is a photo of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile with the majestic Andes stretching the length of the continent. Lake Titicaca takes center stage in this photo, on the border of Peru and Bolivia. (@Astro_Wheels)

Space

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Susan Ryan

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