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'A planet of clouds': Astronaut aboard the ISS captures stunning image of Earth blanketed in white


  • Astronaut Alexander Gerst captured the stunning photo this weekend from the International Space Station
  • The astronaut shared the image on Twitter this past Saturday, writing : ‘Wolkenplanet – A planet of clouds’
  • Through the window of the ISS, the curved horizon of Earth is seen as the planet appears covered in clouds

It’s a scene reminiscent of theories on ‘Snowball Earth’; a vast blanket of white that appears to stretch across the entire globe, completely blotting out the surface.

The breathtaking image captured by astronaut Alexander Gerst this weekend shows our planet swathed in clouds, with barely a hint of blue peeking through the cracks.

Gerst attained the unique perspective from 250 miles above the surface, aboard the orbiting International Space Station.

A breathtaking image captured by astronaut Alexander Gerst this weekend shows our planet swathed in clouds, with barely a hint of blue peeking through the cracks. The astronaut shared the image on Twitter this past Saturday, writing simply: ‘Wolkenplanet – A planet of clouds’

The stunning photo offers a glimpse into the views seen only by the astronauts on the ISS.

Through the window, the curved horizon of our planet is seen in clear view – along with a few gadgets attached to the space station itself.

The astronaut shared the image on Twitter this past Saturday, writing simply: ‘Wolkenplanet – A planet of clouds.’

Gerst is currently leading the Horizons mission on the ISS, in his second stint at the orbiting lab.

He previously shared a stunning timelapse of what it’s like to fly over Earth at speeds unimaginable to the average person.

The video shows an incredible view of the trip over Alaska to the Andes in 260 seconds.

The crews aboard the space station frequently share updates on their life hundreds of miles above the surface, showing what it’s like to live and work in orbit for months on end.

In the past, they’ve revealed stunning views of everything from auroras to moon-sets.

ISS astronauts film incredible lighting and auroras on Earth

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION?
The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.

The space station is currently home to two Russians, three Americans and one Japanese.

Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.

The International Space Station (file photo) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth

ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.

The US space agency, Nasa, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, a level of funding that is endorsed by the Trump administration and Congress.

A U.S. House of Representatives committee that oversees Nasa has begun looking at whether to extend the program beyond 2024.

Alternatively the money could be used to speed up planned human space initiatives to the moon and Mars.

Earlier this month, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev released a video of the narrow tunnels astronauts must traverse to navigate the ISS.

And, it’s not an environment for those put off by small spaces.

The video showed a brief trip through the longest route on the ISS, passing through the main section where the astronauts spend most of their time, to the cafeteria, the Russian section, and the storage and service modules.

The $100 billion orbiting lab is currently home to a crew of six, including geophysicist and volcanologist Gerst.

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