NASA astronaut snaps eerie Hurricane Dorian eye close-up
The International Space Station is tracking the fierce storm from orbit.
Hurricane Dorian has devastated parts of the Bahamas. Meanwhile, astronauts on the International Space Station have been tracking the beast from orbit. One of the latest views is a sobering look straight into Dorian's eye.
The hurricane arrived on the islands as a Category 5 monster over the weekend and stalled in place, battering the Bahamas with high winds, rain and catastrophic storm surges. It has now weakened into a Category 2 hurricane but is still wreaking havoc.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague shared a close-up of Dorian's deep eye on Monday. "You can feel the power of the storm when you stare into its eye from above. Stay safe everyone!" he tweeted.
The eye of #HurricaneDorain. You can feel the power of the storm when you stare into its eye from above. Stay safe everyone! pic.twitter.com/yN3MGidY3N
— Nick Hague (@AstroHague) September 2, 2019
We have seen a lot of images from the ISS recording the storm as it moved across the Atlantic. NASA has also been streaming live video feeds from the space station. Hague's image shows an incredible amount of detail and highlights the circular nature of the storm's center.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch shared a collection of ISS photos from a broader viewpoint on Monday. "Hoping everyone in its path stays safe," she tweeted.
#HurricaneDorian as seen from @Space_Station earlier today. Hoping everyone in its path stays safe. pic.twitter.com/6vejLDPJHF
— Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) September 2, 2019
Dorian is already responsible for at least five deaths on the Abacos Islands, which are part of the Bahamas. The death toll is expected to increase sharply as damage assessments begin. The hurricane is now on its way to the East Coast of the US.
Residents in some parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were ordered to evacuate over Labor Day weekend. Check out our guide to preparing an emergency go bag in case of a disaster.
Even if Dorian only skims the coast, it could still cause considerable damage. "Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the Florida east coast and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, regardless of the exact track of Dorian's center," the National Hurricane Center warned Tuesday.
