10 landmarks you can see from space

• The International Space Station has the best view of some of Earth’s most iconic landmarks.
• Astronauts can see man-made structures, including the Pyramids of Giza and Dubai’s Palm Islands.
• Natural landmarks, such as the Grand Canyon and the Amazon River, can also be observed from the ISS.

If you want the best view of Earth’s landmarks, you’ll need a ticket to space.

Some of the world’s most jaw-dropping sites — both natural and man-made — only reveal their true scale and beauty when captured from 250 miles overhead.

The International Space Station has snapped images of some of these landmarks, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids at Giza, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

Photos show how incredible landmarks look both from the ground and from way, way above.

The Amazon River

The river travels through the Andes Mountains of Peru and flows through Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

The Amazon River seen from space

As the world’s second-longest river and biggest by volume, it is relatively easy to spot from space. It runs for more than 4,000 miles.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum, a valley of dunes, canyons, sandstone mountains, and aged petroglyphs in Jordan, has been used in films such as “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “The Martian.”

Wadi Rum seen from space

Wadi Rum, which is known as the “Valley of the Moon” by Jordanians, can also be seen clearly from space.

The Golden Gate Bridge

The bridge’s consulting architect Irving Morrow preferred the “international orange” color of the nearly 9,000-foot, single-span suspension bridge as it increased its visibility amid the San Francisco fog, according to History.com.

The Golden Gate Bridge from space

The International Space Station provides the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge in winter months when fog is lighter and days are shorter.

The Grand Canyon

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon is an incredible landmark that formed millions of years ago.

The Grand Canyon from space

To astronauts, the Grand Canyon resembles a long, flowing river at 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep in some places, per the Grand Canyon Conservancy. They’re the lucky few to see the canyon in its entirety

The Great Barrier Reef

Another of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World can be found in this coral sea, located off Australia’s northeastern coast, where the biggest coral-reef system in the world exists.

The Great Barrier Reef from space

Also visible from the ISS, the Great Barrier Reef extends over 1,430 miles and contains almost 3,000 reefs and 890 islands, 400 coral types, 1,500 fish species, 4,000 mollusks, and over 200 bird species, according to UNESCO.

The Kennecott Copper Mine

Also known as the Bingham Canyon Mine, this is located near Salt Lake City in Utah. It’s the world’s largest man-made excavation, Smithsonian Magazine reported.

The Kennecott Copper Mine from space

Per Mining Technology, the Kennecott Copper Mine is one of the world’s great open-pit mines at 2.5 miles wide and half a mile deep. It has been in operation for over a century.

The Himalayas

The Himalayas have an average elevation of 20,000 feet and cover approximately 1,500 miles across countries including Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, and Bhutan

The Himalayas from space

Few mountain ranges compare to the snow-covered Himalayas: The range is visible hundreds of miles above Earth’s surface to astronauts on the ISS.

Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Palm Jumeriah in Dubai’s Palm Islands is made of approximately 3.9 billion cubic feet of sand. Workers dredged up sand from the bottom of the Persian Gulf to create the shape, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Palm Jumeirah from space

Palm Jumeirah is one of three artificial Palm Islands and the only one completed so far, is the largest artificial island in the world in the shape of a palm tree.

The Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza were built by the Ancient Egyptians in about 2500 BC. They remain the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still standing.

The Pyramids of Giza from space

NASA astronauts on the Alpha space station snapped photos of Giza’s pyramids for the first time in 2001.

The Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is a 120-mile-long canal that represents a crucial trade route between Europe and Asia by cutting out what would be a two-week journey around Africa. Every day, more than 50 ships move through the canal.

The Suez Canal from space

The Suez Canal, the surrounding dense urban development, and the desert landscape can be seen clearly by astronauts.

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