A photo of Earth as seen from space is always an amazing sight, so how about 12,500 of them?
That’s the number of photos the European Space Agency said ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst used to make this stunning time-lapse video. The photos are ultra-high definition, and were taken during a six-month mission known as "Blue Dot."
Gerst returned to terra firma in early November after a mission that included a successful spacewalk and remotely driving a rover-sized vehicle on Earth from space.
And while those are amazing accomplishments, the real prize may be this incredible collection of images Gerst took while away. His photos include shots of the Milky Way, as well as photos of cities at night, flickering auroras, flashing lightning, other spacecraft, clouds, continents, and the vast blue of the ocean — all zooming past on the orbiting Earth below.