Categories: NASA

Abstract Art? Nope, It’s The World Cup Countries From Space!

The Sarychev Volcano in Japan erupting in 2009. On an asteroid, volcanoes would not form these types of domes and would likely be more like seepages. Credit: NASA/JSC/Image Science and Analysis Laboratory

And we have kickoff! As the fever of the 2014 FIFA World Cup takes over the world, NASA has shared images of all of the participating countries from space. And it shows that no matter what team you’re cheering for, our entire Earth is a darn beautiful place.

We’ve posted some of our favorite art-like shots below, and as a bonus, we’ve added a video and Twitter picture of astronauts playing soccer/football on the International Space Station a few days ago.

To collect the complete set of country pictures, head over to NASA’s Flickr album. And best of luck to all the teams!

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Iran’s Dasht-e Kevir, or Great Salt Desert. It is the largest desert in Iran. Picure taken by Landsat 7. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Sao Simao Reservoir in Brazil. Picture taken by an Expedition 16 crew member on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/ISS

The Parana River in Argentina. Picture taken from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

At left, Australia at night. At right, the Cupola on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/ISS

South Korea photographed from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Greetings from #ISS MT @Astro_Alex: ISS crew is warming up for the #worldcup http://t.co/tOyQmt3nmJ pic.twitter.com/uKZhnEhk6Q

— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) June 12, 2014

Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.