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Astronauts Discuss Experiences in Space

Astronauts Kathryn Thornton and Paul Richards

At an event on May 6, 2009, retired astronaut Kathryn Thornton (left) and astronaut Paul Richards discussed their experiences in space with a crowd of Goddard employees.

Among other things, Thornton mentioned how difficult it was to pick out familiar constellations because of how many stars she could see. One of Richards's fondest memories was being able to see a massive thunderstorm from space: Unlike on Earth, where people may only see one lightning strike at a time, Richards mentioned that, from space, lightning seems to spike out in a massive, cascading spider web over many miles. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo