Space station timelapse at night shows Europe in all its majestic beauty

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took a break from her work on the International Space Station to take some pictures as she orbited around the earth.

She then stitched the still images together to create a timelapse journey from the Canary Islands to Italy, and the result is breathtaking. The sun's halo can be seen beyond the horizon while towns and cities glow orange below:

Cristoforetti is onboard the ISS for six months. You can follow the progress of her mission here.

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