Timelapse of Hurricane Milton Approaching Florida Shared From Space Station

Astronaut Matthew Dominick shares a jaw-dropping timelapse of Hurricane Milton from space as the storm heads toward Florida.

By Zulekha Pitts

October 9, 2024

Image: NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared a view from the Crew Dragon Endeavour, docked to the International Space Station

A view of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday morning, October 9, 2024, from 250 miles above Earth's surface Photo by Matthew Dominick/X

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Tuesday morning, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick gave the world an incredible perspective on Hurricane Milton—direct from space. Posting on X (formerly known as Twitter), Dominick shared a breathtaking timelapse of the massive storm as seen from a window of the Crew Dragon Endeavour, the reusable craft docked to the International Space Station.

At 11:17 a.m. on Tuesday, Dominick shared a still photo of Milton from space on X, writing, "We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago. Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window. Expect lots of images from this window as this is where I'm sleeping while we wait to undock and return to Earth."

We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago. Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window. Expect lots of images from this window as this is where I’m sleeping while we wait to undock and return to Earth.

Timelapse coming in a separate post.

1/6400 sec, f8, ISO 500 pic.twitter.com/zkhJdTlag7
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024

In the same post, Dominick promised a Milton timelapse video would be up next. Then he delivered.

Hurricane Milton, which has been making headlines with its strength and trajectory, looked equal parts mesmerizing and terrifying from space. Dominick's timelapse shows the swirling eye of the storm with layers of clouds stretching for miles — a stark reminder of the power of nature as seen from the calm and quiet height of 250 miles above our planet.

Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton about 2 hours ago.

1/6400 sec exposure, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/p5wBlC95mx
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024

The post quickly garnered raves on X, with many praising the astronaut for sharing the awesome glimpse.

"Hard to wrap your head around the sheer size and power of these storms. Thanks for sharing your perspective!" one user commented.

"Perspective is everything! On the ground, Milton is menacing, frightening, and most certainly devastating. From space, Milton is mesmerizing and spectacular! Both perspectives put me in awe of nature," commented another user.

Updating Milton's progress a day later, Dominick posted another timelapse at 9:54 a.m. Wednesday morning.

While the hurricane looks bigger today, it's not as "symmetric" as it was on Tuesday.

Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton today about 2 hours ago. Storm looks bigger but less symmetric than yesterday.

1/2000 sec, f8, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/XUjQEJPOGg
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 9, 2024

Seeing a hurricane in person from the Endeavour window is a rare experience, but Dominick gave the masses a peek.

The timelapse from space showcased Milton's swirling beauty, but here on the ground, the storm's threat remains real. With the imminent approach of life-threatening winds and storm surge, Dominick's awe-inspiring posts are yet another reminder of the sheer force of the changing climate and its threats to Florida life as we knew it.

Though she's a Jersey girl by birth, former staff writer Zulekha Pitts — Zee to her family and friends, has deep roots in Florida. Before coming to New Times in 2024, she worked as a content creator and digital producer for USA Today and content producer for 3TV and CBS 5 News in Phoenix and also has experience as a digital host for the jewelry home-shopping channel Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, Zee is wrapping up a master's in communication at Villanova.

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