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The 15 best astronaut photos of 2015

Kelly Dickerson

2015-12-29T17:09:00Z

Salt Ponds, western Australia Expedition 44: 11 June, 2015

There's no view of our planet quite like the one astronauts enjoy from the International Space Station (ISS).

From 250 miles up, astronauts have a bird's-eye view of Earth's natural wonders. They can see the raw power of hurricanes, floods, and wildfires that sweep across the planet. And they have a front-row seat to witness the devastating effects of pollution and climate change unfold in real time.

Many astronauts take photos of what they see during their six-month stay on the space station, and now the NASA Johnson Space Center's Earth Observations team has rounded up their favorites from 2015.

Here are the top 15 photos taken this year by astronauts on board the ISS, according to NASA.

A dust plume swirls over Lake Chad in the Sahara Desert on February 2.

Lake Chad and a Bodele Dust Plume, Sahara Expedition 42: 02 February, 2015

Volcanic ashy smog (called "vog") and vortices swirl over Hawaii on February 8.

Volcanoes, Vog, and Vortices, Hawaii Feb. 8

The peaks of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are visible in northern Colombia on February 27.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern Columbia Expedition 42: February 27

Scandinavia glitters at night on April 3. The green is an aurora dancing in the sky farther north.

Scandinavia at Night Expedition 43: 3 April, 2015

Rivers wind through the snow-covered Himalayan mountains between China and India on April 8.

Rivers and Snow in the Himalayas, China and India Expedition 43: 8 April, 2015

The Paraná River in Argentina pours muddy water into the River Plate estuary on April 6.

Good Air and Brown Water, Argentina Expedition 43: 6 April, 2015

The shallow Laguna Colorada lake stands out in Bolivia on April 16.

Laguna Colorada, Bolivia Expedition 43: 16 April, 2015

The low-level Adele Island is visible in northwest Australia on June 11.

Adele Island, northwest Australia Expedition 44: 11 June 2015

The northern tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts was captured in sharp detail on June 13.

Shaping Cape Cod, Massachusetts Expedition 44: 13 June, 2015

Salt ponds stand out against the muddy red-brown rainwater in western Australia on June 11.

The bustling port of Sfax in Tunisia on June 19.

The Port of Sfax, Tunisia Expedition 44: 19 June, 2015

The Mekong River, on the border of Thailand and Laos, floods on August 8 during monsoon season.

Flooding on the Mekong River floodplain, Thailand and Laos Expedition 44: 8 August, 2015

Rare red sprites appeared over northwest Mexico on August 10.

Red Sprites, northwest Mexico Expedition 44: 10 August, 2015

A grid of fish farms in northeast China on September 6.

Aquaculture, northeast China Expedition 44: 6 September, 2015

The India-Pakistan border glows at night on September 23. It's one of the few national borders visible from space.

India-Pakistan Border at Night Expedition 45: 23 September, 2015

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