During the 50 years we have been able take photos of Earth from space, we have become somewhat blase about the little blue planet on which we live.
However, a new series of photos released by the International Space Station and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration remind us just how beautiful our home really is.
From its vantage point 400 kilometres above the ground, four stunning images capture the Earth at night with breathtaking images of city lights, the reflected moon and thunderstorms forming over what looks like South-East Asia.
The photos were taken over three days from September 16.
One image clearly shows the Straits of Gibraltar where north Africa and Europe almost touch. In the foreground are a Soyuz and Progress spacecraft from Russia, docked with the space station.
Another image shows the boot tip of Italy, upside down, with the bright lights of Naples pushing through mottled cloud cover. Moonlight is shimmering off the Mediterranean with the spacecraft's solar panels obscuring the island of Sicily.
A third picture captures the lights clinging tightly to the Nile River valley with Cairo shining bright ahead of the great river's glittery delta. To the right are the lights of Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
The last image shows thunderstorms forming, with lightning flashing in one of the clouds. The area looks like South-East Asia, although this information was not provided by the ISS or NASA but gleaned from the delightful commentary on the space station's Facebook page.
