Through an astronaut’s lens: Images from a photographer in space
NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth in mid-April after a seven-month stay aboard the International Space Station. Aboard Expedition 72, Pettit documented life in orbit with incredible images that blend art and research. From streaking star trails to glowing auroras, this gallery offers a rare glimpse of space through the eyes of a scientist and artist who illuminates the beauty of our planet from above.
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Suited for spacewalks In a post to X, Pettit said, “I am a nameless boy who stays in the confines of the tent helping the Knights suit up for battle.” Pettit said he helped his colleagues suit up for two spacewalks in January. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Starlink constellations Pettit says Starlink constellations are a frequent satellite sighting from space. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Betsiboka River Pettit captures the Betsiboka River in Madagascar and says it reminds him of arteries in a retina. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Electrostatic displays Pettit conducts an experiment using charged water droplets and a knitting needle made of Teflon to mirror how charged particles from the sun come in contact with Earth’s magnetic field. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Space freezers Pettit shows the freezers, right, on the International Space Station that are used to preserve samples for further analysis on Earth. Pettit used them to freeze thin ice wafers seen on the left. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Solar arrays Pettit photographs new and old solar arrays side-by-side. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Star field A star field shows the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way and several other galaxies. “The red is f-region atmospheric airglow coupled with some red and green aurora near the soon to rise sun with streaking city lights,” he said on X. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Superb science Don Pettit captures the hands of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, left, and Suni Williams inside the Life Sciences Glovebox, a facility at the International Space Station. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Cosmic colours Pettit photographs “cosmic colours at sunrise.” The International Space Station’s orbital path, which hovers 250 miles above Earth, covers most of the planet’s population, according to NASA. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Hidden currents Pettit captures a snapshot of the Mediterranean Sea from space. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Thunderstorms Pettit shoots a colourful electrical discharge that occurs above thunderstorms to help scientists better understand this weather event and its impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Thai Aurora According to Pettit, fishing boats off the coast of Thailand use green lights to lure their catch. This gave a striking view from orbit known as the Thai Aurora. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Dubai An orbital view of Dubai at night. (Don Pettit/NASA)
‘The World in a Fisheye’ Pettit shows off his favourite lens – an 8 mm, f2.8 fisheye from the 1980s. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Lake Baikal With his favourite lens, Pettit captures a fisheye view of Lake Baikal in Russia. (Don Pettit/NASA)
‘Birthplace of democracy’ This photograph captures the historic city of Athens from orbit. (Don Pettit/NASA)
‘Green Pacific’ Pettit shares this image he calls the “Green Pacific.” He says a 30-second exposure shows a green cast over the Pacific Ocean. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Star trail Pettit shows a star trail – when stars leave streaks of light – from the Crew 9 Dragon spacecraft. (Don Pettit/Babak Tafreshi /NASA)
Starship 8 From the International Space Station, Pettit captures Starship 8, the eighth flight test of a SpaceX starship launch vehicle, break up in the upper atmosphere and fall back to Earth. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Starry night A starry night from an orbital palette – a vibrant, colourful atmospheric event seen from orbit particularly at sunrise and sunset. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Africa’s algae A bird’s-eye view of algae in Natron Lake, Tanzania. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Hong Kong An orbital view of Hong Kong at night. Pettit teased on X that he claimed to see a dragon. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Southern Cross The Southern Cross is a well-known constellation easily visible in the southern sky. Pettit shot the constellation from a SpaceX Crew 9 Dragon vehicle. (Don Pettit/Babak Tafreshi/NASA)
‘Boat City’ Pettit shows an orbital view of the coast of Van Hung, Vietnam, and what Pettit calls a “floating city of boats,” seen at night. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Time exposure “Our orbit creates star trials during a time exposure, in this case, about 30 minutes during orbital night,” Pettit explained on X. (Don Pettit/Babak Tafreshi/NASA)
Seoul An orbital view of South Korea’s capital Seoul at night. (Don Pettit/NASA)
New Glenn Pettit says he set up three cameras to photograph New Glenn, a launch vehicle from Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. (Don Pettit/NASA)
Space beauty A combination of the Milky Way, zodiacal light, Star Link satellites as streaks, stars, a soon to rise sun, and cities at night also as streaks. (Don Pettit/NASA)
L.A. fires A view from the International Space Station of San Francisco down south towards Los Angeles and San Diego capturing the L.A. fires that happened in January. (Don Pettit/NASA)
A new year Pettit and the team celebrate New Year’s with a spectacular orbital light show featuring red and green hues. (Don Pettit/NASA)
