Photo of Philadelphia from Space Station Will Zen You Out

[Buster's Uncle]

Photo of Philadelphia from Space Station Will Zen You Out
Curbed Philly
Thursday, February 12, 2015, by Megan Ritchie Jooste



Photo via NASA's Mashall Space Flight Center

Understanding the word requires you to take a certain distance from it.

- Karl Ove Knausgaard

Astronauts tell us that there's a permanent and dramatic shift of perspective that happens the first time you look down on our planet from space. The Overview Effect, first described by author Frank White in 1987, is the sudden recognition that we live on a planet. "The experience transforms a person's perspective of Earth and mankind's place upon it, and he or she begins to think of Earth as more of a "shared home" and have a strong feeling of awe."

Last year, we showed you what some cities around the world look like from the International Space Station. This photo, taken by one of the Expedition 30 crew members aboard the International Space Station shows much of the eastern (Atlantic) coast of the United States. Boston (peeking above eleventeen feet of snow at the moment) is just out of frame at right. "Long Island and the Greater Metropolitan area of New York City are visible in the lower right quadrant. Large cities in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) are near center."

So, not to get too sappy over here, but we thought that today's news that Philadelphia will be hosting the 2016 Democratic National Convention, that Philly's Bike Share is really for real coming this spring, and that an indoor pop-up is coming to Liberty Place (roll out of office into hammock/lounge/beer mug) called for a little "I'm OK, You're OK" moment.

And is that so wrong?


http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/12/post-3.php

[Geo]

Are those snow fields we see between the city lights, or clouds?

[Buster's Uncle]

I think clouds.