There is certain sublime majesty of witnessing things from high places. It’s no wonder that the scriptures speak of “high places” as locations where people have enjoyed celestial communion. During the Second Palestinian Intifada, an Israeli aboard the International Space Station (ISS) reported how peaceful the region looked from way up on high.
Now, scientists equipped a special camera to the exterior of the ISS and captured footage of our home and planet during the nighttime. The time-lapsed footage allows a unique view of the earth and highlights its wonder as the only known celestial body to provide not only a form of life, but a rich history of diverse life forms.
As the ISS orbits the globe, the entire planet is seen only during the nighttime. Populated areas of the planet have bright yellow lights visible from outer space with the appearance of being Christmas tree lights. Off to one section is an ice capped area completely white in appearance with large lightning strikes visible. The storm almost certainly covers a distance of dozens of miles, but appears harmless from the ISS.
As a body of water (either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans) is traversed, lights are seen swirling around like fireflies. They are lightning from storms on the high seas. Suddenly, a well-developed continent is passed over with an interconnected network of bright lights. The view from another angle shows clouds cover swaths of sea and land stretching over hundreds of not thousands of miles. Watch the video and get a view of the earth in a way that was simply not possible to witness a decade ago.