Among many other things, astronauts onboard the International Space Station are in the enviable position of being able to capture incredible photographs that no-one on Earth can.
Those who live and work aboard the Space Station can capture countries and continents floating by; approaching supply ships; spacewalks in action; aurorae, stars, planets and other celestial wonders from the vantage point of Earth orbit.
One such astronaut who has been making waves with his incredible images is NASA's Don Pettit.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit, picture 12 July 2019 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Dr. Donald Pettit has logged over 370 days in space and over 13 spacewalk hours.
For his most recent 6-month stint, he launched to the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft on 11 September 2024.
Astronauts have multiple tasks on board the Space Station, from keeping physically active and exploring the effects of spaceflight on the human body, to conducting science experiments in weightlessness.
But Pettit is perhaps most well-known to those of us back on Earth for being one heck of a photographer.
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photographed by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station using a Nikon Z9 camera, 200mm f/2 lens, 1/8", ISO 25600. Processed with Photoshop. Credit: NASA
Perhaps it's his engineering background that gives him the ability to utilise the Space Station cameras to such incredible effect.
Aurora borealis as seen from the International Space Station, captured by astronaut Don Pettit, 11 October 2024. Equipment: Nikon Z9 camera, Nikon 24mm f1.4 lens, 1/5 second, f/1.4, ISO 3200, adjusted in Photoshop.
He's even been known to do his own image processing, including stacking star trails images as a way of effectively increasing the exposure capabilities of the cameras on the ISS.
Here are some of Pettit's best photographs from the International Space Station, so far...
Keep up with Pettit's mission and images by following him on X (formerly Twitter) @astro_Pettit.
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photographed by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station using a Nikon Z9 camera, 200mm f/2 lens, 1/8", ISO 25600. Processed with Photoshop. Credit: NASAAstronaut Don Pettit captured these 'star trails' from the ISS by capturing 47 different images then 'stacking' them. The effect shows the apparent motion of the stars. Space station hardware in the foreground includes the Mini-Research Module (centre) and a Russian Progress vehicle docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment (right). Credit: NASAMore amazing star trails captured by Don Pettit from the Space Station. Noticeable also are trails from lights on Earth as the Space Station passes over. Credit: NASADon Pettit captured this image of ATV Edoardo Amaldi approaching the Space Station for docking, 28 Mars 2012. Credit: ESA/NASA/Don PettitThe shadow of the Moon on Earth during an annular solar eclipse, captured from the International Space Station on 20 May 2012 by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Credit: NASA/Don PettitLaunch of a SpaceX Starship, as seen from the ISS. Captured by astronaut Don Pettit. Credit: NASAStar trails and the trails of lights on Earth, as seen from the Space Station by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Earth's atmospheric airglow is visible on the horizon. Straight lines on the right are Starlink satellites glinting in sunlight. Credit: NASA/Don PettitA view of the Southern Hemisphere sky, captured by Don Pettit on board the Space Station. Two fuzzy blobs at the top are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The denser population of stars bottom left is the Milky Way. Credit: NASA/Don Pettit"Perpetual twilight seen through the Space Station solar array, when our orbit temporarily aligns with the day-night terminator, similar to summer in Antarctica." Captured by Don Pettit from the ISS. Credit: NASA/Don PettitA meteor and a cosmic ray in the same photo! Astronaut Don Pettit said of this photo: "Meteor and cosmic ray interrupting my time exposure over the Gulf of Mexico looking at Florida and Cuba. The fat streak on the left is a meteor while the thin streak on the bottom right is from a cosmic ray traveling in the plane of the sensor creating a narrow streak only a few pixels wide." Credit: NASA/Don PettitStar trails from the Space Station during Expedition 31, 2012. Astronaut Don Pettit said: "Composites like this are made from many images, creating a time history of earthly and cosmic phenomena that maps our universe as a function of time. The blue marks of lighting strikes personify this, reflecting storm intensity. Science revealed through art." Credit: NASA/Don Pettit
What are your favourite images captured from the International Space Station? Let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor. He fell in love with the night sky when he caught his first glimpse of Orion, aged 10.
Star trails and the trails of lights on Earth, as seen from the Space Station by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Earth's atmopsheric airglow is visible on the horizon. Straight lines on the right are Starlink satellites glinting in sunlight. Credit: NASA/Don Pettit
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