Photographer extraordinaire Don Pettit is about to return to Earth following a seven-month keep aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
During his time in orbit some 250 miles above Earth, Pettit has been sharing breathtaking images and movies of Earth and past, that includes all the pieces from star trails and aurora to rocket launches and cityscapes.
To mark Pettit’s profitable mission, we’ve pulled collectively a few of his finest social media posts from the final seven months. Enjoy!
Pettit is the grasp of star path exposures. Here’s certainly one of his finest:
Star path time publicity. Our orbit creates star trails throughout a time publicity, on this case, about 30 minutes throughout orbital evening. This was assembled from a number of 30 second exposures by @BabakTafreshi. Big due to Babak for making use of his processing expertise with picture… pic.twitter.com/4SQrFshmgh— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) February 8, 2025
Next up, a hanging shot of the Betsiboka River in Madagascar, which Pettit stated reminded him of “the arteries in your retina.” The vivid crimson shade is because of the excessive focus of iron-rich sediments carried by the waterway.
Another exceptional shot captured from the house station, this infrared picture (transformed to black and white) exhibits daylight glinting off the Mediterranean Sea.
Sun glint off the Mediterranean Sea (infrared and transformed to black and white). When the solar displays off the ocean, watery particulars unseen with regular lighting exhibits up. Small centimeter variations in ocean peak change into seen, revealing hidden currents.Here, naturally… pic.twitter.com/szK3mjNxcX— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) October 15, 2024
Astronauts on the house station are sometimes handled spectacular aurora shows, attributable to photo voltaic particles hitting Earth’s environment. Here’s a video of 1 that Pettit shared earlier this month.
Pettit’s photograph of Earth and the Milky Way options “cosmic colors at sunrise.”
“Star trail from ISS,” Pettit says of this picture exhibiting star trails, metropolis lights, and elements of the ISS. “I think these are a blend of both science and art. There is so much techno-geek stuff to see, or you can simply sit back and think, ‘How cool.’”
Star path from ISS; I feel these are a mix of each science and artwork. There is a lot techno-geek stuff to see, or you’ll be able to merely sit again and assume “How cool”.This one exhibits atmospheric airglow, yellow-green at 120km and the fainter higher crimson at 400km, star trails transferring in… pic.twitter.com/c58CeJxIgh— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) December 3, 2024
An unimaginable view of boats anchored off the coast of Van Hung, Vietnam.
A shocking picture of the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is an orbital optical phantasm. Instead of showing as a deep trench, it’s perceived as a contorted bump. In this {photograph}, it jogs my memory of cardiac arteries on the heartland of Earth. Nikon Z9 IR, 70-200mm f2.8 lens set 200mm, 1/3200 sec, f11, ISO 500,… pic.twitter.com/hf2oeJ7wuB— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) October 12, 2024
An “earthly eyeball,” as seen by the station’s seven-window Cupola module.
Here we are able to see Pettit establishing a few of his cameras contained in the Cupola module.
Watch the star trails stretch out.
The U.Okay.’s capital metropolis “sparkling at night.”
Pettit even managed to {photograph} the second stage of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket heading to house on its inaugural flight in January 2025.
New Glenn rocket launch photographed from ISS on Jan 16th. This exhibits New Glenn higher stage in coast section following booster separation. In this 4 minute time publicity, New Glenn is seen because the faint streak transferring from decrease proper to higher left because it crosses the brighter… pic.twitter.com/YwWtCfMoZt— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) January 19, 2025
He additionally obtained to see a check launch of SpaceX’s Starship, probably the most highly effective rocket ever to fly.
My B-role shot of Starship launch from house station. The motion was partially blocked by a photo voltaic panel and I assumed the composition was ruined. However, on a second look-see, I assumed this flaw gave it a dose of orbital actuality. pic.twitter.com/8QzcoYVAdX— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) November 25, 2024
A view of a giant Magellanic Cloud.
Large Magellanic Cloud seen within the southern hemisphere with the higher “red-orange” a part of our environment (known as the f-region) seen within the decrease a part of the {photograph}. This is a time publicity utilizing my selfmade tracker that compensates for @space_station movement, thus permitting… pic.twitter.com/YcCwSqkIzV— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) December 13, 2024
Another wonderful experience over an aurora.
Las Vegas at evening.
Las Vegas; the beacon for humanity. Perhaps the brightest spot on Earth. Here is a cropped photograph adopted by the complete metropolis exhibiting Harry Reid (previously McCarran) Airport and “The Strip”. Can you discover your favourite spot?Z9, Nikon 200mm f2 lens, 1/320th second, ISO 25600,… pic.twitter.com/O4OHerA7z9— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) November 19, 2024
A view of Mongolia, right here wanting extra like a murals.
Somewhere over Mongolia. The deserts of Mongolia are hanging from orbit. I’m awed each time there’s an orbit path overhead. This photograph is in close to infrared the place the traditional shade spectrum is shifted “down” into the infrared area so the colours we’re used to seeing are… pic.twitter.com/rUHsjxXSXe— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) October 8, 2024
More “art,” together with rivers that resemble “flowing silver snakes.”
Moonshine from house. Somewhere over the Amazon basin, taking pictures images of cities at evening, I seen the sunshine from a near-full moon reflecting off of the meandering rainforest rivers. In the cool moon-ish gentle these rivers grew to become flowing silver snakes. When the moonlight was… pic.twitter.com/SGIUAJLhpP— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) September 24, 2024
Pettit additionally caught a picture of a passing comet.
It is completely superior to see a comet from orbit. The perspective of rising by the environment on edge is actually distinctive from our vantage level. The comet tail continues to be too dim to see together with your eyes, however it’s heading in the direction of the solar and rising brighter day by day. This comet… pic.twitter.com/wsrevVpjDv— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) September 22, 2024
Beautiful colours firstly of the yr.
Can you see Everest?
Mt. Everest is on this photograph; can you discover it? It is the massive mountain that sticks up excessive. Mount Everest is the tallest peak in a complete vary of tall peaks and never simply discovered. We have a manner of selecting it out, type of like a geographic mnemonic that serves to impress rookie… pic.twitter.com/tgAoLLoS21— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) October 11, 2024
Star trails, metropolis lights … and Starlink satellites!
Pettit utilizing microgravity for a simple lens swap.
A time-lapse exhibiting a Crew Dragon spacecraft approaching the station.
The Milky Way seen by the window of a docked Crew Dragon capsule.
The so-called “Thai aurora” is the results of inexperienced lights on fishing boats.
Known as Thai Aurora, fishing boats off the coast of Thailand use inexperienced lights to lure their catch. Striking view from orbit! pic.twitter.com/xVM3HisSUb— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) March 4, 2025
A Dragon cargo spacecraft heading again to Earth.
A lastly, a little bit of enjoyable in microgravity situations.