A stunning timelapse video taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick aboard the International Space Station has revealed the sheer scale of Hurricane Milton's fury. Shot on Tuesday from the window of the Dragon Endeavor, the footage shows the space station orbiting above the powerful storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr Dominick, currently residing in the docked Dragon Endeavor, awaits its detachment and return to Earth.
Endeavour initially transported Mr Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin (Roscosmos) to space in March. Its return to Earth, initially scheduled for October 7, has been delayed due to Hurricane Milton's trajectory. As a result, Endeavour will now undock from the ISS on October 13.
''Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton about 2 hours ago. 1/6400 sec exposure, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5-sec interval, 30fps,'' he captioned the video.
See the tweet here:
The footage has taken the internet by storm, garnering close to 9 million views. One user wrote, ''Incredible footage! It's fascinating yet alarming to see the power of nature from such a unique perspective.''
Another commented, ''That's a breathtaking perspective on the immense scale and the distinct eye formation at the centre.''
A third said, ''Awesome shot! Great idea to have a 0.5-second interval, the result is very smooth & looks like you are speeding over the hurricane. Of this is also very worrying for the folks under Milton in Florida, Georgia etc, hopefully, people will evacuate somewhere else well in time.''
A fourth added, ''Hard to wrap your head around the sheer size and power of these storms. Thanks for sharing your perspective!''
Hurricane Milton is a powerful Category 5 hurricane that's been intensifying rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico. It's expected to make landfall on Florida's west coast, Florida, threatening to unleash a deadly storm surge, devastating winds, and torrential rains, according to Fox Weather. This has prompted evacuation orders for coastal communities, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declaring a state of emergency in 51 of the state's 67 counties over the weekend.
The storm surge, flooding, and high winds may affect energy infrastructure, including power plants, transmission lines, and fuel terminals. The National Weather Service has warned that Hurricane Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.
