Latest news with #spacephotography
Digital Trends
14-07-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Astronaut's stunning snapshot shows Earth in a whole new way
Earth has rarely looked as remarkable as it does in this stunning shot (above) captured by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station (ISS). Taken during his recent seven-month mission aboard the orbital outpost, the astonishing image shows an airglow over the planet we call home, together with distant stars and a part of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the station. Recommended Videos 'SpaceX Dragon flies between the stars of deep space, and a sea of clouds lit by the red upper atmospheric airglow,' Pettit wrote alongside the photo in a social media post that he shared on Sunday. 'This is a 20-second exposure taken with my orbital sidereal drive that tracks the stars thus allowing long exposures.' SpaceX Dragon flies between the stars of deep space, and a sea of clouds lit by the red upper atmospheric airglow. This is a 20 second exposure taken with my orbital sidereal drive that tracks the stars thus allowing long exposures. — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) July 12, 2025 An airglow is a faint, natural light that occurs as sunlight interacts with atoms and molecules within the atmosphere. It's seen from space as a thin, colorful glowing band close to the edge of our planet, usually green in color but sometimes red or blue. Unlike auroras, which are driven by solar storms, airglows are always present although they're only visible at night. The orbital sidereal drive that Pettit speaks of is an innovative device created by Pettit himself to keep stars sharp in long-exposure photos captured from the space station. The tool moves the camera to compensate for the movement of the ISS, thereby keeping the stars in the same spot on the camera sensor, preventing them from streaking across the frame. Pettit has earned a reputation for taking breathtaking shots of Earth and beyond from orbit. He shared many of his efforts during his most recent space mission, which ended in April, but since then he's been sharing new images captured during the same expedition. Just last week, for example, Pettit posted this incredible near-infrared shot of the Grand Canyon, which he described as 'reminiscent of the surface of Mars.'
Digital Trends
08-07-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Stunning Grand Canyon photo captured from space looks just like Mars
Since returning to Earth in April following a seven-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut and accomplished photographer Don Pettit has been sorting through the numerous images that he took while aboard the orbital outpost, many of which he's now sharing for the first time. Take this stunner (below) that he posted on Monday, for example. It shows the Grand Canyon captured in near-infrared by Pettit as the space station passed overheard some 250 miles up. And as Pettit notes, it has a definite Mars-like quality about it. Recommended Videos 'The Grand Canyon region photographed in near-infrared from the ISS, reminiscent of the surface of Mars,' the astronaut commented in the post. The Grand Canyon region photographed in near-infrared from the ISS, reminiscent of the surface of Mars. — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) July 7, 2025 Early on in his most recent ISS mission, Pettit, who at 70 is NASA's oldest serving astronaut, shared another equally impressive shot (below) of the Grand Canyon, one that wouldn't look out of place in an art gallery. 'The Grand Canyon is an orbital optical illusion,' Pettit said. 'Instead of appearing as a deep trench, it is perceived as a contorted bump.' Pettit adds that the image reminds him of 'cardiac arteries on the heartland of Earth.' The Grand Canyon is an orbital optical illusion. Instead of appearing as a deep trench, it is perceived as a contorted bump. In this photograph, it reminds me of cardiac arteries on the heartland of Earth. Nikon Z9 IR, 70-200mm f2.8 lens set 200mm, 1/3200 sec, f11, ISO 500,… — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) October 12, 2024 Following his first two long-duration stays aboard the ISS in 2002 and 2011, Pettit spoke about his enthusiasm for taking photos from orbit. 'Astronaut imagery of Earth is an example of learning what you need to take pictures of and how to take the pictures,' he said in an interview with SmugMug Films. Pettit continued: 'How to take those pictures in space is incredibly complex. Certain camera components, like the flash, have to be modified to work in a vacuum. The cameras need to be steadied extremely carefully to avoid motion blur. 'Things don't work the way they do down here on Earth. You are moving at eight kilometers a second. And so you have to be able to slew the camera at the same rate of orbital motion while you're taking pictures to actually get the sharpest imagery.' For more of Pettit's fabulous work, check out this collection of some of the best images captured during his most recent ISS visit.
