The strongest hurricane ever recorded is edging closer to landfall along the Pacific coast of Mexico, and an astronaut in space captured amazing photos of the beast of a storm Friday.
NASA's Scott Kelly tweeted the photos from his post on the International Space Station saying that the hurricane -- named Hurricane Patricia -- looks "menacing" and he hopes people in the path of the storm stay safe on Earth.
Hurricane #Patricia looks menacing from @space_station. Stay safe below, #Mexico. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/6LP2xCYcGD— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 23, 2015
The storm, which is now a Category 5, has sustained winds of about 200 miles per hour, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is warning that Hurricane Patricia could be "potentially catastrophic."
"Some fluctuations in intensity are possible this afternoon, but Patricia is expected to remain an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane through landfall," the NHC said in an update.
Hurricane #Patricia approaches #Mexico. It's massive. Be careful! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/F5LgnjOjey— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 23, 2015
Hurricane Patricia was about 85 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and 155 miles south of Cabo Corrientes, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center issued at 2 p.m. ET Friday.
Robotic, Earth-gazing satellites are also keeping a close eye on the storm from space. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is using space-based assets to take imagery of the storm and predict its path.
added Gilbert & Tip to SAT comparison: @JimCantore @StephanieAbrams @JustonStrmRider pic.twitter.com/6NKJRIGhB1— Simon Brewer (@SimonStormRider) October 23, 2015