To celebrate the 20th birthday of the International Space Station (ISS), the European Space Agency (ESA) published the longest continuous time-lapse video from the orbiting laboratory. In just under 15 minutes, this 4K HD video below takes us from Tunisia across Beijing and through Australia in two trips around the world. You can follow the ISS’s location using the map at the top right-hand-side of the screen alongside annotations on the photos themselves.

This video is 12.5 times faster than the actual speed. The ISS orbits around the Earth at a speed of 7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h or 17,100 mph). It completes an orbit in 92.68 minutes (15.54 orbits per day).

From the description of the video:

“Since the very first module Zarya launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 20 November 1998, the International Space Station has delivered a whole new perspective on this planet we call home. Join us as we celebrate 20 years of international collaboration and research for the benefit of Earth with ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst’s longest time-lapse yet. “

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M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer, an ex-road racing cyclist, and a science enthusiast. Also an animal lover! I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. You can check out my social media profiles by clicking on their icons.

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