Power and stillness
High above Russia, the ISS witnesses frozen beauty.

The Dneiper River, north of Kiev.
Pesquet/ESA
The image captures the powerful Dnieper River, its journey through Russia temporarily halted by below-freezing temperatures. The undulating course of the water is mirrored, or perhaps echoed, by swirling snowdrifts across the adjacent landscape.
The picture was taken by the European Space Agency’s Thomas Pesquet, on board the International Space Station. He likens it to the paintings of legendary Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai.
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.