EARTH DAY: Stunning views of Earth from space

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's view of Earth from the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit around the moon. (NASA)

Southern Scandinavia just before midnight under a full moon. (NASA)

A red sprite above the white light of an active thunderstorm over northwest Mexico. (NASA)

The northern tip of Cape Cod showing 8.5 miles of its 65-mile length. (NASA)

A tiny island off Australia's north coast with many concentric zones around it. (NASA)

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano with the long swirls of volcanic gases wafting west from the volcano. (NASA)

A dramatic view of the many peaks of Colombia's Santa Marta massif. (NASA)

The brightly colored Laguna Colorada, unique in this part of the Bolivian Andes Mountains. (NASA)

The radiating street pattern of Tunisia's second city and major port of Sfax that also hosts Tunisia's largest fishing fleet. (NASA)

Coastal lagoons with numerous rounded islands are typical of the Indian Ocean coastline of Western Australia. (NASA)

The eye-catching delta and green swamps of the Paraná River on the Atlantic coast of Argentina. (NASA)

The Himalaya range, near the China-India border, where peaks cast strong evening shadows on the snow. (NASA)

From the islands of the Pacific to the rivers and mountains of Europe, Earth is covered with mind-blowing views that are even more stunning from above. Check out the gallery above to see some of NASA's coolest shots of the Big Blue Marble, all taken from space.

Cool NASA photos of Earth from space