ESA Releases Longest Continuous Timelapse from Space for 20th Anniversary

The European Space Agency (ESA), or Agence spatiale européenne in French, was established back in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, France to promote space exploration. Since then, the agency has made many great strides and expanded its programs to include human spaceflight, unmanned exploration missions to the Moon and other planets, the design of launch vehicles, and more.

Now, the agency is celebrating 20 years of existence and has released a mesmerizing timelaspse to commemorate the event. "Since the very first module Zarya launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 20 November 1998, the International Space Station has delivered a whole new perspective on this planet we call home," says the video's description.

"Join us as we celebrate 20 years of international collaboration and research for the benefit of Earth with ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst’s longest timelapse yet. In just under 15 minutes, this clip takes you from Tunisia across Beijing and through Australia in two trips around the world."

The clip even features a map to let you follow the ISS' locations as you watch. ESA also revealed the impressive timelapse comprises of approximately 21 375 images of Earth, all captured by Alexander from the ISS, and shown 12.5 times faster than actual speed. 

Who needs to travel anymore when you watch the world go by from the comfort of your own home. Happy anniversary ESA!