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Subscribe to RSSCinematographer Knate Myers edited space station photography into this time-lapse video.
Eight months ago, we featured an eye-popping time-lapse video by German filmmaker Michael König as the "best of NASA's night lights" — but now New Mexico time-lapser Knate Myers has created another contender for the title.
Like König's compilation, Myers' four-minute odyssey wraps in multicolored auroral displays, glorious night passes over the world's cities, flashes of lightning and the heavenly whirl of the stars above. Far from detracting from the scene, the space station's solar arrays and other hardware add a sense of perspective in the foreground. As with any time-lapse video, this one shows to best advantage when it's at highest resolution and full-screen display — whether you go with YouTube or Vimeo.
We might have to rethink that earlier "best of" verdict. But really, is there any point anymore in declaring a time-lapse winner?
It turns out that there's a whole club on Vimeo devoted to turning imagery from the International Space Station into time-lapse views. And when you get right down to it, virtually all of this imagery comes from NASA's Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, which offers its own selection of time-lapse space station videos. (This month NASA put up a humdinger showing the moon's shadow on Earth during May's annular solar eclipse.)
Rather than declaring a winner, I'm just going to point to some of the favorites — and declare that all the folks who work with imagery from space, and all the folks who enjoy that imagery, are the real winners here.
More winners in the orbital time-lapse category:
- YouTube: All alone in the night
- 'Amazing' view of comet from space
- Aurora extravaganza from outer space
- TEDxISU viaYouTube: Audacity to Dream
- Fantastic views from Fragile Oasis on Facebook
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Thanks to your articles Alan , I've been able to enjoy quite allot of these great videos ....
I agree , they are all great ....
Maybe they should change it up a bit and have some of the worst space station videos .... "LOL"
The ones in this article were surely winners , so much so that I could imagine the pleasure of living in the station for a short time enjoying the views for hours ....
Thanks again Alan ....
Keep up the great work ....
I hope all is well always ....
Outstanding, Alan. Hey, what do you think our chances are of seeing the Perseids in the frozen Pacific Northwet this summer? (spelling intended) =(
This should be a good one, Warren: This year the moon will be a crescent, coming up around midnight but still not all that glaring. It'll also be a weekend (Aug. 11-12). And of course the weather has *got* to clear up by then, right? It'll be the weekend after Seafair weekend.
Stunning video and great job Alan.
The wondrous beauty of this video simply leaves one speechless first thing in the morning.
All I can say is it is the updated, TODAY version of the old 1973 movies:
"Youtube video of Soylent Green - the scene"
Absolutely surreal. Thank you.
(Man must be SO careful never to repeat "Up there" what.......)
ie. "Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at that beauty."
Professor/astrophysicist Stephen Hawking
That was great.
Wow! And I enjoyed Murphy's 'Adagio in D-minor' soundtrack just as much.
Amazing videos.
Nice effects, If you truly believe that this video is actual footage, I feel bad for you. I can do the same thing with my computer.
What? Are you saying you don't believe this is real video footage taken from the ISS and then edited to use time-lapse effects?
If so, I feel bad for YOU!
Promises, promises, promises.
Where is it; we're waiting, but not holding our breaths.
Alrighty then.........
Your an idiot
I agree he's an idiot - But when you call someone an idiot just make sure YOU'RE not calling yourself an idiot in the process :-)
Simply stunning.
awesome video! Just curious, is this how NASA justifies their existence? Really, is there benefit from an antiquated space station any more? The space race is over NASA seems more like an expensive National Hobby...
Robert, you lack sadly in education. The space program over the years has had a minimum 10 fold return to society, especially the US. The computer you posted your comment on was an outcome of the NASA program to create compact electronics for the space program, and is far more powerful than the computers in the space capsule and LEM used to go to and land on the moon. Electronic watches (which are the standard the world over), cell phones, etc, all proceeds of NASA and our space program. Metals and alloys, insulation less than an inch thick which protects from temperatures above 250 degrees to below 300 degrees (space suit), the basis of modern day fire suits worn by airport fire fighters. The thermal reflective barriers now installed in home roofs, the shingles that reflect infrared and ultraviolet radiation to help keep our homes cooler in summer, solar panel technology, all developed and refined for and by the space program. You just don't realize how much NASA and the space program has paid off.
ok, dissatisfied, ok... Lack of education or lack of facts??
Now, what has NASA done lately to continue to drain the America tax payer.
first photovoltaic cell developed in 1839, first used in space by Vangaurd I in 1958.
In 1865 Dr M. Lewis was the first person to communicate through a wireless atmosphere. In 1973 Martin Cooper created Motorola, in 1977 the first cell phone was made in Chicago.
although NASA may have made a few contributions, computers were not developed by NASA, as a matter of fact Slide Rules were the first form of a computer used by NASA for the Apollo Project, even to the first Moon mission. Lots of research to show the facts.
yeah, fire, military are adapting Nasa Space Suit technology...
It seems most of the things mentioned were not Created by NASA, however NASA did utilize the technology. NASA has made some contributions but really, what are we going to gain on earth if they realize there once was water on Mars? Are they going to prevent the cosmos from the end of days for earth? Maybe the Moon Rocks, although cool, paid for the Moon missions? It was a cool sense of National Pride, I watched the Moon Landing on TV as a kid but what did we gain, what is our Return on Investment from NASA? Maybe they can start to sell IMAX videos...
It's spectacular, but if it could be run at a slower speed I think it would even be better.
I don't have anything to compare to, so I don't know if I could say "best" in comparison. But I will say it is stunningly beautiful and I hope we will see more of such presentations in the future.
That thing isn't any higher in space then it has to be. Wow, nothing like looking at the Earth upclose and personal. Great shots!! The northern lights, very cool. And the thunder clouds and lighting. Lot's of things going on in the atmosphere of this old planet!!
The space station is the greatest thing that mankind has going. There are many progressive endeavors that are close, but nothing tops the space station. Bravo to the engineers, stientists, designers, machinists, material suppliers, vendors, astronauts and technicians who made it all happen. Also to those who made the cameras and edited the films for public consumption. Your work is an inspiration and foot forward for life on earth, not just human life.
All of our earthly cathedrals and mosques, temples and shrines, petty wars and oppressive governemtns pale under the orbit of the space station. This is real progress.
Thanks to the internet we can all appreciate the work with the click of a mouse button.
THe heavens are declaring the glory of the lord. Day and night it pours forth speech. When one considers earth is a planet that is full of life everywhere, the land, the sky, the water. other planets are not. earth was created as the dwelling place for man, Gods crowning creation.
Ah shut up
Doug - director of the freedom police!
Nice touch with the music from "Sunshine; Capa's Jump" . . .
That was...amazing. Truly inspiring.
It's not showing on our PC - it says Not Available
Clear your cache'
That was badass! So beautiful!
It's much too fast.
Ethereal! Nice matching of music and mood to the flyovers. Now if we can only get out of low-Earth orbit, imagine the pictures and the music to accompany that.
After watching this video, I went immediately to the website with the footage from the ISS and made my own version. Truly amazing pictures are available for everyone to see.
I really enjoyed making this video and can't wait till more pictures are available so I can start working on the next video!
Oh, here is the video I made of the ISS - oops.