ESA Astronaut Shares Incredible Pictures Of Icebergs As Seen From Space

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently shared incredible images of giant icebergs seen from space. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who is the current commander of the orbiting lab's current Expedition 70, shared a glimpse of icebergs floating in the South Atlantic in a post on Instagram. "The tip of the iceberg. I have to admit that if you had asked me before this mission, if you could see icebergs with your naked eye from space, I would have said, 'No way'. Turns out that you can!" he wrote while sharing two new images of the icebergs, which appear as small white specks against the bright blue ocean water. 

"We have been seeing lots of icebergs lately in the south Atlantic. Perhaps it's their distinct geometry or perhaps the contrast in color, but they are very visible from space," Mr Mogensen continued. He also expressed his concerns on climate change. "Seeing the icebergs float around reminds me of climate change, with glaciers melting at a rapid pace and rising sea levels. Places like the Maldives will most likely not exist in 70 years from now, having been submerged by the rising ocean," he wrote.

Take a look at the pictures below: 

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A post shared by Andreas Mogensen (@astro_andreas)

The images capture three distinctly larger icebergs and several other fragments that have likely broken free as the icebergs travel across the ocean. They also show some of the submerged parts of the icebergs and the ocean waves breaking around the visible part of the bergs floating on the ocean surface. 

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Mr Mogensen shared the images a few days back. Since then, the post has accumulated more than 3,400 likes. It also collected tons of comments. 

"I was surprised at seeing iceberg from space! What a amazing photo! But we have to think the global http://warming.It's serious problem," wrote one user. "Looks incredible! What would be the estimated size of these icebergs?" said another. 

"Super new knowledge for you up there," commented a third. "What a view," expressed another. 

Meanwhile, Mr Mogensen's pictures come amid a time when it was reported that the world's largest iceberg is on the move for the first time in more than three decades. According to Space.com, the iceberg, called A23a, has been spotted drifting beyond Antarctic waters.