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Hurricane Rina Rages in Space Station Astronaut Video

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Hurricane Rina
This visible image of Hurricane Rina was taken by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on Oct. 24, 2011 at 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT) when it was off the coast of Mexico. Rina's southwestern edge was over Honduras at this time. (Image credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team)

From high above Earth, the astronauts on the International Space Station have a unique view of the menacing Hurricane Rina raging below, and by the looks of a video recorded today (Oct. 25), the view from space reveals quite a storm.

"We have a view of Hurricane Rina in the video camera here," space station commander Mike Fossum of NASA radioed to Mission Control in Houston. It's a biggun."

"We're seeing it too, Mike — sustained winds of about 105 miles an hour [169 kph]," Mission Control replied.

Rina, which formed over the northwest Caribbean Sea, is the sixth of this year's Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane is currently a Category 2 storm, but appears to be intensifying as it approaches southeastern Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. It could be bumped up to Category 3 or higher by tonight.

Hurricane Rina is currently located about 300 miles (483 km) east-southeast of Cheturnal, Mexico, and is moving west-northwest at a glacial pace of 3 mph (4.8 kph), according to NASA officials.

Hurricane warnings have been issued for the region stretching from north of Puna Gruesa, Mexico to Cancun.

Storms receive names when they are officially classified as tropical storms or hurricanes. Rina is the 17th named storm of the 2011 season.

Astronauts on the International Space Station often take photos or videos of compelling natural and man-made phenomena that are visible out the windows of the complex, including the northern and southern lights, massive storms or the lights from densely populated cities.

This story was provided by SPACE.com, sister site to Live Science. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. We transport our visitors across the solar system and beyond through accessible, comprehensive coverage of the latest news and discoveries. For us, exploring space is as much about the journey as it is the destination.