Interesting Photo of the Day: Thunderstorms from Space

Interesting Photos

Nature can be an incredible thing to witness, especially when you have the opportunity to gaze upon it from an unusual vantage point. For this reason, the images produced by the International Space Station are often stunning, as well as informative. This particular shot from Expedition 49 is just one example of incredible photography sourced from beyond the boundaries of our planet:

Malaysian Thunderstorms captured by ISS (Via Imgur. Click image to see full size.)

From a vantage point 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, something as simple as a rainstorm can look entirely foreign. Looking down upon Kuala Lumpur as well as a number of Malaysian coastal cities, you see clusters of street lights intermingle with bolts of lightning whilst shrouded in ominous clouds.

Equally remarkable as the scene itself is the process that went into creating the photograph. As if launching a camera into space wasn’t difficult on its own, in order to record the storm, it was necessary for cameras to be set at a shutter speed long enough to capture details shrouded in darkness, yet short enough to not be distorted by motion blur.

With upcoming ISS expeditions planned for years to come, those of us planted firmly to the ground can look forward to a steady stream of interesting space views unlike anything we’ve ever seen.