Facebook Pages Falsely Depict 'Live' Clips From Space

Facebook's "live" feature had been operating for a few months now, and it's fast becoming the next big format on social media. However, it seems that there had been media outlets trying to take advantage of the feature for the sake of viral posts.

According to The Verge, there had been Facebook pages that are passing off old footage from the International Space Station as "live streams" from outer space. Among the said pages are UNILAD and Viral USA - both of which are tricking viewers into thinking that they are indeed taking videos from outside the planet.

UNILAD's post drummed up over 19 million views since its broadcast, with their video captioned "Space from the International Space Station! Where in the world are you watching from?" However, the video was that of two Russian cosmonauts who are carrying the Olympic torch for the 2014 winter games - and the video took place in November 2013.

The video from Viral USA, on the other hand, amassed over 28 million views, captioned simply "View From SPACE! FOLLOW US: Viral USA." However it was noted as a 2015 spacewalk by US astronaut Terry Virts, as confirmed by NASA.

While neither outlet described their footage as "live stream," Facebook delivered it as such to users - and comments from viewers confirmed that many though they were seeing live footage, with many marveling at the thought of internet being way better in space than here on Earth.

However, for those who want to watch a legitimate live stream from outer space, there is actually a way to do so: NASA itself broadcast their spacewalks as they occur - and there is a constant live stream running from cameras outside the ISS. There is no need to go to third-party sites to see such video streams - not that the old ones are less interesting to watch than newer ones.