This is the View You Get Staring out of the Space Station's Cupola Module

By Nancy Atkinson - September 22, 2020 at 2:23 PM UTC | Space Exploration
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Those lucky few who have the incredible opportunity to see the Earth from space often report the view gives them a sense of awe, unity and clarity. This perspective-altering experience has come to be known as the Overview Effect, from a book by the same name published 1987 by space philosopher Frank White.

In the Cupola on the International Space Station – a dome-shaped module with six windows that face Earth – the view of our planet has become even more spectacular for those on board. The small module is designed for the observation of operations outside the station such as robotic activities, the approach of vehicles, and spacewalks. But the direct, nadir view of Earth through the windows is what astronauts enjoy the most, and its where they go for quiet introspection about their place in space, as well as keeping an eye on events on Earth like hurricanes and wildfires.

The view from our lead image shows the islands of the Caribbean Sea, and was taken from inside the Cupola. Visible in the foreground are the ISS's solar arrays and the docked Progress resupply vehicle. But the view of Earth shows the multi-toned waters of the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean frame the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and southern Florida.

"This view of the Earth from space – the whole Earth perspective – is, I think, the true symbol of this age," said Frank White in the short film “Perspective,” which you can watch below. "I believe … there's going to be a greater and greater interest in communicating this idea because, after all, it's key to our survival. We have to start acting as one species with one destiny. We are not going to survive if we don't do that."

Video caption: Ultra-high definition (4K) time-lapses of both the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis phenomena shot from the International Space Station (ISS). Credit: NASA

Want more Earth views? Watch this stunning view of aurora taken from the many cameras on the ISS, including views from the Cupola. Also, NASA’s Earth Observatory website provides a daily dose of views from space.

Since this is an election year in the US, the thoughts of several astronauts come to mind in how a view of Earth from above might alter the perspectives of politicians.

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Edgar Mitchell, Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 14, put it a little more forcefully:

"You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, 'Look at that, you son of a bitch."

https://vimeo.com/55073825

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com