Astronaut Captures Incredible View of Grand Canyon

Six million years ago, what we now know as the Colorado River began forming America’s most widely-recognized landmark, the Grand Canyon. In 1893, the area surrounding the canyon was first placed under federal protection, and in 1919, the Grand Canyon National Park became the newest addition to the young National Park Service. On December 26th of 2014, a man living in space tweeted a picture of the Grand Canyon from the International Space Station thanks to a day of particularly clear Grand Canyon weather.

Terry W. Virts, an astronaut and communications expert working under NASA, tweeted this stunning image of the canyon from what may have been his bedroom or dinner table. A view like this is something that few people are ever able to truly experience, but Terry likened it to seeing the canyon in person – he said he wasn’t sure which was actually more impressive.

Mr. Virts has been aboard the International Space Station since November 23rd of 2014, arriving alongside two other astronauts. How do you think a view like this would strike you? If you could take a trip to space, what monuments would you like to see? Let us know in the comments section below!