Stunningly beautiful images of our planet Earth

People on vacation love posting snaps of exotic locations on social media. But, today we offer you a different view...

...some of the most fascinating shots captured by the International Space Station (ISS). Click on to see planet Earth as you have never seen it before!

Here you can admire the natural colors of the Abaco Islands, which are located in the northern Bahamas. These include the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco.

Photo: NASA

This is the night sky over the United States. By looking at photos like this one, we get a better sense of how much of the planet is covered by artificial light.

Photo: NASA

In this image, the Susquehanna River runs through the Appalachian Mountains. The photo was taken by the crew of the ISS.

Photo: NASA

Here, you can admire Bombetoka Bay in northern Madagascar, where the salty waters of the Mozambique Channel join the Betsiboka River.

Photo: NASA

This image, taken from the International Space Station, shows the blue-green waters around the Bahamas. Beautiful, right?

Photo: NASA

On the morning of June 22, 2019, the Raikoke volcano erupted. The ISS crew managed to get this breathtaking picture.

Photo: NASA

This photo, taken by commander Alexander Gerst from the ISS, makes us realize the full extent of Mother Nature's creative beauty.

Photo: NASA

Photos from space can also reveal how we are destroying the planet. Here, we can see how devastating deforestation in Madagascar is.

Photo: NASA

This photo was taken aboard the ISS when the station was floating above the Brazilian coast. What a treat, seeing a sunrise in space!

Photo: NASA

Here is an 11-ton iceberg off the coast of Innaarsuit, a small island village in northwestern Greenland.

Photo: NASA

This impressive shot was taken by Ricky Arnold, who is a NASA astronaut.

Photo: NASA

Another night shot, this time of the lights of cities in Northern Europe. The photo was taken near the English Channel.

Photo: NASA

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took a wonderful night photo of Naples, in which it is possible to see the void created by Vesuvius.

Photo: NASA

Paris, around midnight (local time) on April 8, 2015. It is no coincidence that it is called the 'City of Light'!

Photo: NASA

Taken April 16, 2016, by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite, this image shows a general overview of the Caspian Sea around the Tyuleniy Archipelago.

Photo: NASA

It looks like a painting. Instead, it's a 2017 photo taken from space, which depicts snowdrifts around the Dnipro River, which flows from Russia to the Black Sea.

Photo: NASA

Exploring the protected areas of the world from space: from the International Space Station to the Egmont National Park in New Zealand.

Photo: NASA

In this image, tropical storm Ida was shot as it passes over the southern United States, moving over the territories of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and southern Alabama.

Photo: NASA

This photo was taken on July 26, 2014 by one of the crew members of the International Space Station. It shows the Iberian Peninsula illuminated at night in all its glory.

Photo: NASA

Looking carefully at this photo, you will notice the eruption of Etna, in Sicily, which took place on March 19, 2017. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet shared it with these words: “Etna, in Sicily. The volcano is currently erupting and lava is visible from space at night!”

Photo: NASA

This celestial view of the atmospheric glow of Earth and the Milky Way was taken by ISS cameras when the station was orbiting above Australia.

Photo: NASA

While climate change is melting most of the planet's glaciers, the Hubbard Glacier is bucking the trend as it slowly advances.

Photo: NASA

Hard to believe, but this photo shows a lake, Dazecuo, one of the many inland lakes of Tibet. In the Ice Age, the region was noticeably wetter and the lakes were correspondingly much larger.

Photo: NASA

And this is the best way to finish – showing the planet Earth in all its glory. What a breathtaking view.

Photo: NASA