Check Out This Amazing Photo Of New York State From Space

Being a New Yorker, it's sometimes easy to forget how big, vast, and diverse our state is. From the bustling concrete jungle of New York City to the raging waters of Niagara Falls, New York has just about something for everyone.

Many folks worldwide were reminded of that fact when Dr. Jeanette J. Epps, an astronaut born in Syracuse, New York, shared a great picture of the Empire State from the International Space Station as it hovers a mere 250 miles above Earth.

Who Is Dr. Epps?

Born in Syracuse, Dr. Jeanette J. Epps holds a Master of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from LeMoyne College and her high school diploma from Thomas J. Corcoran High School in Syracuse.

After a successful career at Ford Motor Company and with the Central Intelligence Agency, she joined NASA in 2009 as an astronaut. She's spent several years assisting as an Operations Officer for the International Space Station before launching to the ISS earlier this year for a 6-month assignment doing scientific experiments and maintaining the space station.

The International Space Station, which weighs around 1,000,000 lbs, is approximately 250 miles above Earth. It was originally launched in 1998 and has a maximum crew of seven people. The station travels around 17,100 mph and circles Earth 15 times every day. Each orbit around Earth takes about 93 minutes, which gives the station's crew several opportunities to take a peek at our home.

That is precisely what Dr. Epps did when she snapped this great photo of Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, Oneida Lake, and a big chunk of Central and Northern New York.

The detail of the Empire State from 250 miles away is fantastic. It's always great to see our state from this vantage point.