Get an astronaut’s view of the globe during World Space Week

What can space tech teach us about Earth? It turns out, a surprising amount. Astronauts at the International Space Station and instruments on orbiting satellites can help protect the environment, assist farmers and respond to natural disasters.

World Space Week 2016, which ends October 10, celebrates cool uses of space on the ground. Have you visited any of these places? See them from an astronaut’s perspective on the International Space Station.

Sahara Desert, Africa

Satellite over Sahara Desert (NASA)
The world’s largest hot desert, the Sahara, appears on the left while the dark green marshes of Lake Chad stand out in the foreground. (NASA)

Hawaiian Islands, U.S.

Hawaii from space (NASA)
In this panorama, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano (left) displays long swirls of volcanic gases. (NASA)

Santa Marta, Colombia

View from space of Santa Marta mountains in Colombia (NASA)
Astronauts looking at the many peaks of Colombia’s Santa Marta massif took this photo in the early morning. (NASA)

Aurora over Scandinavia

View from space of auroras over Scandinavia at night (NASA)
The bright green aurora is caused by “space weather,” as energetic particles from the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. The blue is sunlight over the horizon. Here, the aurora shines over Scandinavia. (NASA)

Himalayas, China

View of snow-covered Himalayas from space (NASA)
This image looks over the Himalayan range in China near the Indian border. The range has the planet’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. (NASA)

Australian coastline

View from space of lagoons and salt evaporation ponds on Australia's west coast (NASA)
Coastal lagoons with numerous rounded islands are typical of the Indian Ocean coastline of Western Australia. The red is muddy rainwater and the white rectangles are salt evaporation ponds. (NASA)

Tunisia, old and new

View of city of Sfax, Tunisia, from space (NASA)
This picture shows the old and new cities of Sfax, Tunisia’s second largest city, which was founded in 849. The bright pink rectangles are salt evaporation ponds tinted by algae. (NASA)

ShareAmerica staff writer Michael Buchanan contributed to this report.