Stunning Photos: Earth from Space by Astronaut André Kuipers

Supermoon Sinking

The Supermoon appears to be sinking into the atmosphere. The image was taken by André Kuipers from aboard the ISS on May 5, 2012.

Flattened Moonbeams

Flattened moonbeams appear to look like liquid in this image of the supermoon. The image was taken by André Kuipers from aboard the ISS on May 5, 2012.

Supermoon Glowing in Night Sky

A supermoon occurs when the full moon is seen at the shortest distance from Earth. The image was taken by André Kuipers from aboard the ISS on May 5, 2012.

View of Mediterranean Sea

European astronaut André Kuipers captured this photo of the Mediterranean Sea from the International Space Station on Jan. 4, 2012. Greece is visible on the left, with the continent of Africa located on the right.

View of Australian Outback

The colorful geological structures of the Australian Outback were captured by astronaut André Kuipers on Jan. 26, 2012.

Moonrise

Astronaut André Kuipers snapped this spectacular image of Earth and the moon from the International Space Station on Jan. 8, 2012.

Naples at Night

Astronaut André Kuipers snapped this photo of the city of Naples in Italy on April 1, 2012. Mount Vesuvius is visible as the ominous black hole near the center of the image.

The Coast of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea

This stunning picture of the coast of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea was taken by Dutch astronaut André Kuipers from the International Space Station on Dec. 31, 2011.

The Amazon Rainforest

European spaceflyer André Kuipers took this picture of the Amazon rainforest in South America to show how rapidly it is disappearing. The image was taken on March 21, 2012.

The Fertile Nile

André Kuipers captured this incredible view of the Nile River in northeastern Africa on March 10, 2012.

The Russian East Coast: Kamchatka Peninsula

Astronaut André Kuipers spied the east coast of Russia from the space station on March 11, 2012.