Astronaut Shares His View of the National Parks From Space

Jessica Plautz
Updated
NASA astronaut Jeff Williams shares his perspective of the U.S. National Parks.

The national parks across the United States are impressive from land—and even more impressive from space.

NASA astronaut Jeff Williams takes photos of the parks from space. For the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, he is sharing some of his photos and talking about them.

“Space explorers are drawn into the heavens,” he said. “But it seems once we get here, our attention is drawn back to Earth.”

#OTD 1916 @NatlParkService was born. Celebrate the centennial with me as I share my photos & personal story. #NPS100https://t.co/yPGO6NGgRX

— Jeff Williams (@Astro_Jeff) August 25, 2016

The National Park Service was founded on Aug. 25, 2016. Even away from Earth, the legacy of the parks is visible.

“Many of the large-scale parks are easily seen from the Space Station,” Williams said. “Their rugged beauty and unspoiled terrains reveal a geographic landscape as diverse as America itself.”