From their position on the International Space Station , astronauts are treated to a unique view of our planet that most people will never have the chance to see.
The ISS orbits Earth at a height of around 250 miles, meaning the space station makes around 16 trips around Earth every single day.
Now, NASA has shared a stunning photo of Earth from the ISS, showing the sun beaming over the Philippine Sea.
NASA posted the photo to its Instagram page, writing: “Taken by astronauts on the International Space Station (@iss), this image captures the essence and beauty of our delicate blue marble.
“Here, the Sun's glint beams over the Philippine Sea highlighting the clouds and their shadows during an orbital sunrise.”
While the photo clearly shows that the Earth is flat, several commenters weren’t convinced.
One user commented: “Fake, the world is flat,” while another wrote: “This is fake…the world is flat!”
Meanwhile, another added: “That’s photoshopped because the Earth is flat!”
While these conspiracy theorists are convinced that the Earth is flat, humans have actually known that Earth is round for more than 2,000 years.
NASA explained: “The ancient Greeks measured shadows during summer solstice and also calculated Earth's circumference. They used positions of stars and constellations to estimate distances on Earth.
“They could even see the planet's round shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse. (We still can see this during lunar eclipses.)”
Today, scientists can use GPS and other satellites to measure Earth’s size and shape to within a centimetre!
NASA added: “Even though our planet is a sphere, it is not a perfect sphere. Because of the force caused when Earth rotates, the North and South Poles are slightly flat.
“Earth's rotation, wobbly motion and other forces are making the planet change shape very slowly, but it is still round.”
