Photo of Hurricane Irene as a Category 3 From International Space Station
Posted on August 25, 2011
US Astronaut Ron Garan (@astro_ron) took this photograph of Hurricane Irene from the International Space Station (ISS) at 3:14PM EST on Wednesday, 24 August 2011. You can view a very large image of the photograph here. It is an amazing photo. Irene's eye is clearly visible. Hurricane Irene was a category three storm - located just east of the Bahamas - when Garan took the photograph. Irene is still a category three this morning and is forecast to strengthen.
The powerful hurricane is forecast the travel up the U.S. east coast this weekend and threaten regions from the Outer Banks to New England. Past hurricanes that have followed a similar path - such as Hurricane Donna (1960) and the 1821 Long Island hurricane - have caused widespread destruction. You can get the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center here.