View of the earth in HD from International Space Station NASA 12-06

High Definition Earth-Viewing System (HDEV)

The High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment aboard the ISS was activated April 30, 2014. It is mounted on the External Payload Facility of the European Space Agency’s Columbus module. This experiment includes several commercial HD video cameras aimed at the Earth which are enclosed in a pressurized and temperature controlled housing. While the experiment is operational, views will typically sequence through the different cameras. Between camera switches, a gray and then black color slate will briefly appear.

Black Image = ISS is on the night side of the Earth.

Image of sunset with words displayed = Switching between cameras, or communications with the ISS is not available.

Please note: The HDEV cycling of the cameras will sometimes be halted, causing the video to only show select camera feeds. This is handled by the HDEV team, and is only scheduled on a temporary basis. Nominal video will resume once the team has finished their scheduled event.

HDEV Facts:

• While the HDEV collects beautiful images of the Earth from the ISS, the primary purpose of the experiment is an engineering one: monitoring the rate at which HD video camera image quality degrades when exposed to the space environment (mainly from cosmic ray damage) and verify the effectiveness of the design of the HDEV housing for thermal control.

• The four cameras of the HDEV experiment are oriented in different directions and with different views relative to the ISS travel direction. They are in positioned, 1 looking forward, 1 looking nearly straight down, and 2 looking back. This provides several different viewing angles to the viewer.

• The cameras are programmed to cycle from one camera to the next, and only one camera can work at a time. As they cycle, each camera must turn off and the next camera turn on before the HD video starts, taking about 8 to 10 seconds to change. Through this cycling, comparable data can be collected on each camera; while also providing, as a bonus, different Earth viewing perspectives.

• The University of Bonn in partnership with the German Space Agency (DLR) is implementing the "Columbus Eye" program based on the HDEV streaming video.  that incorporates the HDEV UStream video and describes the Columbus Eye project, which will leverage ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst educational activities in space.

Alphabets in natural formations snapped from outer space 01-16

Alphabets in natural formations snapped from outer space

This is the alphabet as you've never seen it before - in natural formations snapped from outer space

The formations, resembling different letters of the alphabet, were captured by a combination of Nasa satellites and International Space Station astronauts
As far as the alphabet goes, this version is out of this world.

These images, snapped by Nasa satellites orbiting Earth and astronauts on the International Space Station, show natural formations resembling each of the alphabet's 26 letters.

From valleys and snow-covered mountains in Tibet to meteorite craters in Mauritania, the project is the brainchild of Adam Voiland, from the Nasa Earth Observatory.

It began after he noticed a satellite image of a wildfire smoke plume over Canada, which looked distinctly like the letter V, two years ago.
He said: "I wondered whether it would be possible to track down all 26 letters of the English alphabet using only Nasa satellite imagery and astronaut photography.

"With the help of colleagues, I started collecting images of ephemeral features like clouds, phytoplankton blooms, and dust clouds that formed shapes reminiscent of letters.

"Some of the letters, like O and C, were easy to find. Others, such as A, B and R, were much harder.

"I had just become a father when I had tracked down all of the letters, so the Dr Seuss style alphabet is a nice result to have as a new parent."

Here they are in all their glory:

Letter A
Letter A: Utah's Green River
A bowknot bend in Utah's Green River, seen from the International Space Station, 22 January, 2014.

Letter B
Letter B: Arkansas River and the Holla Bend Wildlife Refuge
Arkansas River and the Holla Bend Wildlife Refuge, captured by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat eight, 4 August, 2014.

Letter C
Letter C: An artificial island in Bahrain
Artificial island in south east Bahrain, photographed by an astronaut, 23 January, 2011.

Letter D
Letter D: Akimiski Island in James Bay
Akimiski Island in James Bay, captured by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper on Landsat seven, 9 August, 2000

Watch the Earth and its Space Station shine in this ultra HD video 06-19

Watch the Earth and its Space Station shine in this ultra HD video

The blues and greens of Earth's surface have rarely looked finer than in this new ultra high definition video — taken from space.

NASA released the four-minute video Monday showing some inspiring footage of the Earth and the interior of the International Space Station. The video shows views of astronauts making food and performing experiments in microgravity. The HD cameras also captured one of SpaceX's Dragon capsules arriving at the station on a cargo run.

The YouTube clip puts Earth on display, revealing the details of a storm raging in an ocean, a circular island and several sunrises.

These videos can be used for more than just a pretty distraction. Scientists want to make use of this technology to take high resolution videos of experiments conducted on the Space Station.

"This important new capability will allow researchers to acquire high resolution [and] high frame rate video to provide new insight into the vast array of experiments taking place every day," NASA said in a statement. "It will also bestow the most breathtaking views of planet Earth and space station activities ever acquired for consumption by those still dreaming of making the trip to outer space. "

The video is just the first in a series of ultra HD videos that NASA is planning to release.

You can watch live high definition video of Earth as seen from the Space Station at almost any time. NASA streams footage taken by the High Definition Earth Viewing experiment on the station. The live feed occasionally blacks out when the ISS is out of communication with ground operators, however.

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