Have you ever wondered what the astronauts saw when they are visited the International Space Station. It is a wondrous view of the Earth as they circle it twice every three hours. In the video below, the dramatic scenes play out in a time-lapse sequence of images taken recently.

The video starts out over the northern Pacific Ocean and continues over western North America to western South America. As daylight approaches it ends up near Antarctica. It is a vision of wonders as the beauty flashes by of white clouds and deep blue seas. The Earth is lit up brilliantly by the lights of both small towns and big cities while mother nature adds her own special touch with storm clouds flashing with lightning. During the nighttime half of the globe, familiar constellations of stars can also be seen above. The aerosol haze of the Earth's thin atmosphere shows up on the horizon as a thin multi-colored ring.

If you weren't in awe of our planet Earth and the Universe it is a part of before, you will surely be after taking this amazing trip. Enjoy and let your mind wonder at the miraculous beauty of the world we live in and beyond.