March 31, 2015JPEG

This photograph of super typhoon Maysak was taken by European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti as the International Space Station passed near the storm on March 31, 2015. The category 4 typhoon was headed for a possible landfall in the Philippines by the end of the week. It is unusual for the western Pacific to see such a strong storm so early in the year. This is the first year that two major typhoons have occurred in the western Pacific before April. Additional Maysak images are available on the Twitter feed of NASA astronaut Terry Virts.

1. Further Reading

2. Masters, J. via Weather Underground (2015, March 31) Category 5 Super Typhoon Maysak Pounding Micronesia. Accessed April 1, 2015.
3. Washington Post (2015, April 1) PHOTOS: Space station views of Super Typhoon Maysak that will blow you away. Accessed April 1, 2015.

Photo provided by ESA/NASA. It was taken by ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Caption by Adam Voiland.