NASA astronaut captures city lights streaking below ISS in stunning new photos

Space.com

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NASA astronaut captures city lights streaking below ISS in stunning new photos_67262e03c7a1f.jpeg

The whirling Earth shines brightly in fresh imagery taken from the space station.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, known for his long-exposure photographs from the International Space Station (ISS), recently captured views above Mexico and the United States showing city lights streaking by 250 miles (400 kilometers) beneath him.

Pettit also managed to glimpse the aurora, or northern lights, on the horizon. These glowing hues appear when energetic particles from the sun interact with Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Pettit, on his fourth mission to the space station, is well known for his orbital photography, which he performs during his spare time.

Streaks of city lights and an aurora are visible above Lake Michigan in the United States, in an image taken Oct. 24, 2024 by NASA astronaut Don Pettit on the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit)

a long-exposure photo of earth with streaks of white and a green aurora on the horizon — Streaks of city lights and an aurora are visible above Lake Michigan in the United States, in an image taken Oct. 24, 2024 by NASA astronaut Don Pettit on the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit)

In recent days, he created a Jupiter-like ball of water, using food coloring to create incredible hues that evoked a gas giant planet.

Pettit also caught the conclusion of the independently funded Polaris Dawn mission that returned to Earth on Sept. 15.

The image chronicled the fiery reentry of the four-person mission, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, along with a view of the cone shape of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that ferried them to orbit for about a week.