NASA's Best Earth-from-Space Photos by Astronauts in 2017 (Gallery)
By Christine Lunsford
Hurricane Jose at the Caribbean
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center
For astronauts in space, the Earth is always an amazing sight and the year 2017 offered dazzling (and sometimes frightening) views of our home planet from space. From hurricanes and volcanoes to amazing sunsets, see the best photos of 2017 here. See NASA's video of best astronaut photos from 2017 here! This Image: The massive storm system named Hurricane Jose slammed into the Caribbean Islands on Sept. 6, 2017.
City Lights in the Northeastern United States
At the center of a beautiful section of lights along the northeastern coast of the United States, New York City and Newark, NJ glow brightly. The lights string out from Philadelphia, PA to Hartford, CT.
Idahoan Checkerboarding
Along the Priest River in northern Idaho, this strange, checkerboard pattern jumped out of the landscape. The white squares are made of the snow collected on deforested land where trees were removed for logging.
Solar Evaporation Ponds in Utah
Outside Moab City in Utah, 23 colorful ponds on 400 acres. The ponds are used to harvest muriate of potash for fertilzer.
Meidob Volcanic Field in the Sudan
Covering nearly 1,930 square miles (5,000 square kilometers) of western Sudan, the central Meidob Volcanic Field is believed to be less than 6 million years old. The field consists of maar craters, lava domes and cinder cones from numerous vents on the surface.
City Lights in Northwestern Europe
Lights reveal some of the more populated areas in Northwestern Europe.
Sunrise on the Philippine Sea
As sunrise begins and a portion of the solar disc rises above the horizon, clouds, resembling a mountain range, and several layers of the atmosphere are clear over the Philippine Sea.
Mount Etna Erupts in Sicily
Steam and ash rise into the atmosphere as Mount Etna Erupts in Sicily.
Betsiboka Estuary in Madagascar
The stunning Betsiboka Estuary in Madagascar offers gorgeous images and painful reminders of the effects of deforestation: the red color of the water comes from fertile soil washing into the ocean.
Surrounded by the bluest waters, the Big Island in Hawaii offers a refuge of green in the ocean even with a snow-covered mountaintop.
Naples and Mount Vesuvius at Night
Naples glows brightly in this night image of Italy from the International Space Station. Unlit areas represent agricultural fields and, the large circular dark spot is Mount Vesuvius.
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Christine Lunsford
Producer and Contributing Writer
Christine Lunsford joined the Space.com team in 2010 as a freelance producer and later became a contributing writer, covering astrophotography images, astronomy photos and amazing space galleries and more. During her more than 10 years with Space.com, oversaw the site's monthly skywatching updates and produced overnight features and stories on the latest space discoveries. She enjoys learning about subjects of all kinds.
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