Earth's true colors shine through to space (pictures)

Earth as seen from the International Space Station is a canvas of startlingly bright colors. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has been documenting the planet's brilliant landscapes during a yearlong stay on the space station, and shared a series on Twitter with the hashtag #ColorsOfEarth.

Kelly doesn't specify exactly where the vividly orange sands in this picture are located, but it is a close visual match for some previous images he took of the Sahara desert in Africa. It almost looks like a close-up of the skin of an overripe orange.

Astronaut Scott Kelly shared a series of images taken from space on Twitter with the hashtag #ColorsOfEarth. This geometric view from above shows a snow-covered landscape cut into an uneven grid.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly looked down from the International Space Station with a camera and shot this surreal image of a green sea curving against a beige land mass as its tendrils reach into the shore. The green could be caused by algae or the growth of aquatic plant life.

This view of a yellow desert came from a camera on the International Space Station. The image is part of the "Colors of Earth" series Kelly shared on social media.

An Australian landscape pops up in bright shades of red and purple in this photo taken by orbiting astronaut Scott Kelly. Kelly is nearing the end of a yearlong stay in space, and he has dedicated quite a bit of time to snapping and sharing scenic photographs of Earth on Twitter and Facebook.

A gradation of shades of blue is on display in this image taken from the International Space Station by astronaut Scott Kelly.

The final entry in astronaut Scott Kelly's "Colors of Earth" series of photos shared on social media is this view of a sunset from the space station. Kelly shared it along with a good-night message on day 326 of his nearly yearlong stay aboard the ISS.

These most recent photos aren't the only colorful images of Earth that Kelly has shared; continue on for some other favorites.

Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this image of Africa in early 2016 from his vantage point onboard the International Space Station. He tweeted it out with the message "Earth without art is just Eh." It showcases just how fantastical parts of Earth's surface can look from far above the planet.

This might looks like a dramatic oil painting, but it's really an image of the Bahamas taken by Kelly from the ISS. Small, dark islands are visible in the wavy sea of blue.

A section of African landscape appears dark purple in this photo taken from the ISS. Astronaut Scott Kelly shared it in January as part of his ongoing social-media conversation with space fans down on Earth. Kelly is nearing the end of a yearlong stay aboard the ISS.