'A ship flying in space:' Earth seen through the eyes of an astronaut

By Matthew Knight, CNN

Updated 0134 GMT (0934 HKT) April 22, 2012

Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli captured a series of remarkable images of Earth during a six-month stay on the International Space Station.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
An astronaut's view of Earth – Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli captured a series of remarkable images of Earth during a six-month stay on the International Space Station.
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Nespoli's second space mission during 2010/2011 yielded an incredible 26,000 images of life in space.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
Italy – Nespoli's second space mission during 2010/2011 yielded an incredible 26,000 images of life in space.
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The 55-year-old Italian (seen here on the left) with fellow crew members, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA flight engineer, Cady Coleman.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
Aboard the International Space Station – The 55-year-old Italian (seen here on the left) with fellow crew members, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA flight engineer, Cady Coleman.
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Nespoli posted regular updates on Twitter. "I was amazed by the response from people. It was very fulfilling for me," he said.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
Cuba – Nespoli posted regular updates on Twitter. "I was amazed by the response from people. It was very fulfilling for me," he said.
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"I was doing something which was very interesting for me, but it made me more happy that I could share the images," Nespoli said.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
Toau, French Polynesia – "I was doing something which was very interesting for me, but it made me more happy that I could share the images," Nespoli said.
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The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at a height of around 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface and travels at 20,000 kilometers-per-hour.
Photos: An astronaut's view of Earth
Ice in northern Canada – The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at a height of around 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface and travels at 20,000 kilometers-per-hour.
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"I cannot say we are bad, or that we are causing the planet to go hot or cold. We don't have enough data. But it's clear that we are doing things that have a huge potential of making changes," Nespoli said.