Have you ever imagined what stars might look like while aboard the International Space Station? Well, they probably look like stars, right? But beyond that, there’s some added beauty when you have the rim of Earth hovering in the foreground of a canvas of stars. Additionally, from the ISS you wouldn’t have to contend with the heavy light pollution that obscures our terrestrial gaze.

Anyways, whether you imagine often or rarely at all, here’s your chance to peer the heavens from a place that isn’t Earth. Courtesy of of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, the following video compiles a series of time-lapsed video captured from a low-earth orbit. Aside from the stars, there’s also some stunning imagery of Earth detailing the Lite Brite makeup of the power grid, several captures of electrical storms happening, and some wild activity from the aurora borealis. Beyond the terrestrial imagery, the whirlpool of stars’ light trails from the vantage of the ISS reveal what nearly looks like the galaxy’s vanishing point (a brain-melter of a thought in and of itself).

To really see the detail in the star trails, I recommend that you enlarge the video to the full screen view.

The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station. from AJRCLIPS on Vimeo.