Cutting over a mile into the surrounding landscape, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited…and it’s no less beautiful from 200 nautical miles up! This photo was taken today by Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard the International Space Station and immediately sent to his TwitPic page for everyone to enjoy. Soichi uploads about a dozen photos every day as the ISS cruises around the world at 17,500 mph…at that speed, he can upload a photo of the Grand Canyon one minute and the Ukraine the next! (Well, not literally but pretty darn close.)

It’s an amazing time we live in, that everyday people sitting at home on their computers – or on their cell phones! – can enjoy the same views in real time as astronauts aboard a real-life space station. It may “only” be low Earth orbit, but it’s still a fascinating thing to me.

Check out his page for more great photos.

Image: Astro_Soichi