the blue glow of Earth

"the soft blue glow" of Earth below the Moon. photo by Douglas Wheelock, NASA astronaut.

A necessary diversion from my shopping story: the wonder of our beautiful Earth. I stumbled upon these amazing photos and I wanted to share their magic with you. They are Douglas Wheelock's photos and words from space. He tweeted images and words from space this past fall. I have spent most of the last hour going through his photos, dumbstruck by the sheer wonder and sacredness they evoke. The peace and awe that Wheelock shares through his words is tangible. You can find more of his incredibly beautiful and stirring images here.

"On this sacred night, when the aurora looked like rain, I reflected back on my childhood dreams of flying a spaceship through the infinite expanse of space... to be among the mosaic of billions of stars, and visit other worlds. Now as I look from space at our planet I realize that had I been born and spent my childhood here in space... how much greater and more vivid my dreams would have been to visit this blue planet."

"Another breathtaking sunset…we get 16 of these each day in Earth orbit, each one a treasured moment. That beautiful thin blue line is what makes our home so special in the cosmos. Space is cool…but, the Earth is a raging explosion of life in a vast sea of darkness."

night view of the Nile River

"An explosion of color, motion, and life painted on the canvas of our wonderful world. This is a section of the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast of Australia, captured through a 1200mm lens. I think even the great Impressionists would be awestruck with this natural display."

"My 100th Tweet!...Of all the beauty of our planet, I am completely awestruck when I get a chance to watch the dance of Aurora …simply breathtaking… “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?... I can only imagine…”