[scotsman]

By Gaby Leslie | Yahoo! News – 2 hours 10 minutes ago.

(excerpt)

'A mesmerising time-lapse video showing how Earth looks from space has been wowing the Web.

Nasa released the awe-inspiring footage which features a series of time-lapse sequences photographed by the Expedition 30 crew on board the International Space Station.

The clip, which plays to the haunting tune of ‘Walking in the Air’ by Howard Blake, begins over the southern United States at an altitude of 240 miles and finishes in Europe. Stunning imagery from the Aurora Australis over the Indian Ocean to lightning storms in Africa, shows the planet in all its glory. Heavily populated urban areas can be seen beautifully lit up in the dark of night.

The footage was put together using time-lapse photography, where the frequency at which the images are captured is much slower than that at which they are played back, giving the impression that the images are moving.'

http://uk.news.yahoo...o-of-earth.html

This post has been edited by scotsman: 24 April 2012 - 01:49 PM

[Liz]

That's amazing. Thanks, scotsman.

My husband keeps track of the space station and we often go out on our front lawn to watch it pass overhead. He'll love this video.

[ilja]

After watching this, my first thought was how can people think there is no God?

Thanks so much for posting this, Scotsman. It was just beautiful.

This post has been edited by ilja: 24 April 2012 - 06:24 PM

[MADGestic]

We are GORGEOUS! :-)

[Scootaloo]

ilja, on 24 April 2012 - 06:24 PM, said:

After watching this, my first thought was how can people think there is no God?

Mine was "wow, that's gorgeous," but then, being an atheist, other people's status with this or that deity isn't really forefront in my mind But I'll try to give you an idea of the perspective there.

I see something like this, and what strikes me - after the visual beauty of the spectacle - is that everything I just witnessed... I can explain. Or if I personally cannot, then there is someone who certainly can do so. The understanding that we - flat-faced bipeds on a rock in the vastness of the Orion Arm of our particular galaxy - can explain and fathom displays like this, without need for magic, demons, angels, wizards, gods, elves, or Frank Zappa, simply floors me. It's liberating and empowering. And contrary to what some may think, my understanding of the science behind the phenomena doesn't detract from the beauty of it at all; in fact that understanding enhances it, in the same way that knowing just how arduous Michelangelo's labor was makes the Sistine Chapel's ceiling even more captivating.

But that's just me, perhaps.

Quote

Thanks so much for posting this, Scotsman. It was just beautiful.

Agreed!

[MADGestic]

Scootaloo, on 25 April 2012 - 01:26 AM, said:

Mine was "wow, that's gorgeous," but then, being an atheist, other people's status with this or that deity isn't really forefront in my mind But I'll try to give you an idea of the perspective there.



I see something like this, and what strikes me - after the visual beauty of the spectacle - is that everything I just witnessed... I can explain. Or if I personally cannot, then there is someone who certainly can do so. The understanding that we - flat-faced bipeds on a rock in the vastness of the Orion Arm of our particular galaxy - can explain and fathom displays like this, without need for magic, demons, angels, wizards, gods, elves, or Frank Zappa, simply floors me. It's liberating and empowering. And contrary to what some may think, my understanding of the science behind the phenomena doesn't detract from the beauty of it at all; in fact that understanding enhances it, in the same way that knowing just how arduous Michelangelo's labor was makes the Sistine Chapel's ceiling even more captivating.



But that's just me, perhaps.





Agreed!

One does not need to believe in fantastical/mythical entities or influences to appreciate the beauty of reality. In this footage we can see the curvature of our planet, the atmosphere, electric and electro-magnetic phenomenon, impact craters, civilization in the form of city lights, and manmade features such as parts of the ISS intruding into many frames. For Heaven's sake, it's shot in hi-def and over-laid with a very human musical score! There's nothing mystical about it; it's a remarkable perspective on reality!



If that leads one to wax philosophic so be it; there's nothing necessarily wrong with that.



I think it's real… and pretty!

[Timothy]

Wow, awesome!