NASA releases incredible photos of Earth taken from space that show how beautiful the planet really is

NASA has captured some seriously incredible photos of Earth from space, and they make our planet look almost too beautiful to be real.

From the bright lights of Paris to the winding Colorado River, these images show familiar places from a completely different perspective.

Some were captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station, while others were created using satellites.

Here are five images from the national space agency that prove how spectacular Earth looks from hundreds of miles above.

NASA’s incredible photos show Earth from a completely different perspective

1. The Colorado River looks like a painting

The Colorado River is already pretty spectacular from the ground, but seeing it from space makes it look completely surreal.

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed the river winding through southeastern Utah, where it has spent millions of years carving its way through layers of sandstone and limestone.

The resulting image looks almost like somebody painted the landscape.

The river provides water resources to more than 40 million people across seven US states and northern Mexico, while the surrounding landscape has been shaped by erosion and tectonic movement.

2. Paris lights up the night

Paris is famous for being the City of Light, and this NASA image makes it pretty obvious why.

Captured from the International Space Station, the nighttime photograph shows the French capital glowing inthe darkness

Even from orbit, individual landmarks stand out, with the Eiffel Tower among the features that can be picked out from above.

The city looks almost like a giant circuit board, with roads and buildings forming a glowing network across the landscape, and it’s nice to think that astronauts are looking down, enjoying the delights of Paris.

3. The Bahamas look almost unreal

If you ever needed proof of how beautiful the ocean is, look no further than the Bahamas.

The space agency describes the islands as one of the most recognizable places on Earth for astronauts, thanks largely to its iconic bright blue water.

The Little Bahama Bank is especially spectacular due to sand and water making amazing swirls of color.

From space, the colors make the whole thing look like an enormous artwork.

NASA’s space photos reveal just how beautiful our planet is

4. Thanks to NASA, Cairo becomes a sea of lights

Cairo looks completely different once the sun goes down.

This photograph was captured by an astronaut aboard the ISS and shows the enormous metropolitan area glowing at night.

The Nile is visible as a dark line cutting through the city, while smaller towns and villages shine alongside the river.

From space, you can see the dark desert contrasted against the bright city lights.

5. NASA makes the Himalayas look like another planet

The Himalayas are already one of the most iconic and dramatic landscapes on Earth, but NASA’s astronaut photography makes them look genuinely otherworldly.

Astronauts aboard the ISS have captured incredible snaps of the mountain range, including Mount Everest rising dramatically from the ground.

Because the mountain is so big, it looks like it was taken from an airplane, when in fact it was taken from outer space.

Its sheer scale is what makes the images so impressive.

And that might be the best thing about Earth photography from the space agency: it makes somewhere as enormous as our planet suddenly look small.

Makes you feel tiny, doesn’t it?