Despite any political differences between the United States and Russia, the space agencies of the two countries continue their cooperative work in Earth's orbit, aboard the International Space Station. Apart from the research being done in microgravity, ISS crew members continue to send back amazing images of our home world, photographed from low Earth orbit. Gathered here are recent images of Earth from aboard the ISS, and from a handful of other NASA satellites.

Men help remove messages and prayers written by thousands of people addressed to God from the cracks in the Western Wall in preparation for the up coming Jewish Passover holiday on March 28, 2012 in Jerusalem's old city, Israel. All the notes once collected will be buried in a special place at the Mount of Olives.according tro Jewish law. Passover begins in the evening of Friday, April 6 and commemorates the story of the Exodus where the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Riot police walk past burning garbage containers during heavy clashes with demonstrators during a 24-hour strike on March 29, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. Spanish workers staged a general strike to protest the government's latest labour reforms, which are designed to help Spain lower its deficit within EU limits. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“Japanese artist and designer Makoto Tojiki innovatively uses light as his primary medium of expression. In his latest exhibition, No Shadow, Tojiki manipulates thousands of small hanging lights to create 3D images of a man and animals. I’m pretty amazed by how the artist is able to “see” the image while meticulously placing the lights. Makoto’s creativity doesn’t stop at light production; he is also involved in jewelry making and furniture design”. (Photos by Ryo Ishihara/Josh Rothman)

Russian Police detain opposition supporters during a “March of Millions” protest rally against Vladimir Putin's return in Moscow, Russia on May 6, 2012. Over 650 people were arrested including opposition leaders. (Photo by Dmitry Schedrin, Rustem Adagamov, Andrey Stenin)

Photographer Wes Naman has created portraits of his friends using Scotch Tape to distort their features. The results are similar to Scottish artist Douglas Gordon's 1997 work, Monster, but Wes says he originally got the idea after applying tape to himself to test a lighting rig set-up. Wes Naman has been a self taught photographer of ten years before graduating from commercial photography in his home in North Carolina. (Photo by Wes Naman/Rex Features)