GOOD MORNING EARTH--

This stunning view of the International Space Station was shot by astronauts from the space shuttle during its recent re-supply mission. The sun creates hexagonal lens flares as it sparkles through the blackness of space and highlights the curvature of the earth which arcs through the horizontal center of the image.

The flat panels extending to the right of the image are part of the station's solar arrays which capture the sunlight and provide power to the station. The large, tube-shaped structure in the lower left is part of the main body of the space station where the crew lives and works.

Overall the station is often described as being about the size of a football field. The sky is black because of the absence of any of earth's atmosphere at this altitude of some 250 miles above our planet. The blue sky we are accustomed to seeing on sunny days on Earth is the result of sunlight refracting through the water vapor in that atmosphere. (Photo by STS-129 Crew/NASA)