lensman extraordinaire Don Pettitis about to return to Earthfollowing a seven - month stop aboard the International Space Station ( ISS ) .
During his time in orbit some 250 miles above Earth , Pettit has been share breathtaking photos and television of Earth and beyond , feature everything from sensation lead and dayspring to rocket launching and cityscapes .
To notice Pettit ’s successful charge , we ’ve pull together some of his best societal media posts from the last seven calendar month . Enjoy !
Pettit is the overlord of star lead photograph . Here ’s one of his proficient :
asterisk trail prison term pic . Our celestial orbit creates wizard track during a clip exposure , in this case , about 30 bit during orbital night . This was assembled from multiple 30 second exposures by@BabakTafreshi . Big thanks to Babak for applying his processing science with image…pic.twitter.com/4SQrFshmgh
Next up , a striking shot of the Betsiboka River in Madagascar , which Pettit saidreminded him of “ the arterial blood vessel in your retina . ”The hopeful red gloss is due to the high absorption of branding iron - rich sediment carry by the watercourse .
Betsiboka river in Madagascar , remind me of the arteria in your retina.pic.twitter.com/ZM7KG0nFgx
Another remarkable guessing captured from the place station , this infrared image ( convert to calamitous and white ) prove sunlight glint off the Mediterranean Sea .
Sun flicker off the Mediterranean Sea ( infrared and converted to pitch-dark and clean ) . When the sun reflects off the ocean , washy detail unseen with normal inflammation show up . Small centimeter deviation in ocean height become seeable , unveil hidden currents . Here , naturally…pic.twitter.com/szK3mjNxcX
Astronauts on the space station are often treated spectacular dayspring display , induce by solar atom hitting Earth ’s atmosphere . Here ’s a TV of one that Pettit shared earlier this month .
light-green vaporous turbulency ; tonight ’s show of aurora from@Space_Stationpic.twitter.com/ZX0dINFhLa
Pettit ’s photograph of Earth and the Milky Way features “ cosmic colors at sunrise . ”
Cosmic colors at sunrise ; never get tired of see what the raw twenty-four hour period bringspic.twitter.com/jLLzMIbOzi
“ superstar track from ISS , ” Pettit tell of this image point star topology trail , urban center light , and parts of the ISS . “ I recollect these are a portmanteau word of both scientific discipline and art . There is so much techno - geek stuff to see , or you could simply seat back and think , ‘ How cool . ’ ”
Star track from ISS ; I think these are a blend of both skill and art . There is so much techno - eccentric clobber to see , or you may just sit back and remember “ How cool” . This one record atmospherical airglow , scandalmongering - green at 120 km and the fainter upper red at 400 klick , star trails move in…pic.twitter.com/c58CeJxIgh
An incredible scene of boats anchor off the coast of Van Hung , Vietnam .
Boat City : a floating city of sauceboat seen at Nox from@ISSanchored off the coast of Van Hung , Vietnam.pic.twitter.com/Q1PCQ1iLI4
A arresting figure of the Grand Canyon .
The Grand Canyon is an orbital optical illusion . Instead of appearing as a deep deep , it is perceived as a contort protrusion . In this photograph , it reminds me of cardiac arterial blood vessel on the heartland of Earth . Nikon Z9 IR , 70 - 200 mm f2.8 lens set 200 mm , 1/3200 sec , f11 , ISO 500, … pic.twitter.com / hf2oeJ7wuB
An “ earthly orb , ” as insure through the station ’s seven - window Cupola module .
Earthly eyeball;@Space_Stationwith a 360 degree view.pic.twitter.com/zWBErFSnNf
Here we can see Pettit setting up some of his cameras inside the Cupola module .
go under up in the Cupola . Only 5 cameras this sentence . :) pic.twitter.com/FUjs1sW8tQ
Watch the wizard trails stretch out .
Here is a movie snip ( processed by Babak- big thanks ) sequentially adding the star trail still couch creating orbital motion.pic.twitter.com/upC4vNC5mA
The U.K. ’s capital city “ sparkling at nighttime . ”
London coruscate at night . Nikon Z9 , 200 mm f2 , 1/320 sec , ISO 25600pic.twitter.com/okPZz6N05f
Pettit even negociate to photograph the 2d stage of Blue Origin ’s New Glenn rocketheading to blank space on its inaugural flightin January 2025 .
New Glenn rocket launch shoot from ISS on Jan 16th . This usher New Glenn upper phase in slide phase angle follow recall dose detachment . In this 4 instant clip exposure , New Glenn is seen as the faint bar incite from blue right to upper left as it crosses the brighter…pic.twitter.com/YwWtCfMoZt
He also got to see a test launch of SpaceX ’s Starship , the most hefty rocket ever to fly .
My B - role shot of Starship launching from outer space station . The action was partially blocked by a solar jury and I thought the composition was ruined . However , on a second look - see , I conceive this flaw gave it a loony toons of orbital reality.pic.twitter.com/8QzcoYVAdX
A horizon of a large Magellanic Cloud .
orotund Magellanic Cloud visible in the southern cerebral hemisphere with the upper “ red - orange ” part of our air ( shout out the farad - region ) see in the lower part of the pic . This is a prison term exposure using my homemade tracker that compensates for@space_stationmotion , thus allowing…pic.twitter.com/YcCwSqkIzV
Another awful ride over an aurora .
Aurora see today from@Space_Stationwhile reach was passing between Australia and Antartrica ; photographer@astro_jannickenow on the private FRAM2 space mission will be experience an even good sight in their gelid orbit.pic.twitter.com/8IIiWBDtu8
Las Vegas at night .
Las Vegas ; the beacon light for humanness . Perhaps the brilliant spot on Earth . Here is a cropped photo followed by the full city show Harry Reid ( formerly McCarran ) Airport and “ The Strip ” . Can you encounter your favorite spot?Z9 , Nikon 200 mm f2 lens , 1/320th second base , ISO 25600, … pic.twitter.com / O4OHerA7z9
A view of Mongolia , here looking more like a work of art .
Somewhere over Mongolia . The deserts of Mongolia are hit from celestial orbit . I am awful every fourth dimension there is an orbit track overhead . This exposure is in near infrared where the normal colour spectrum is shifted “ down ” into the infrared region so the color we are used to seeing are…pic.twitter.com/rUHsjxXSXe
More “ art , ” including river that resemble “ flowing argent snakes . ”
Moonshine from distance . Somewhere over the Amazon basin , shooting photos of city at night , I noticed the light from a close - full Sun Myung Moon reflecting off of the meander rainforest river . In the nerveless Sun Myung Moon - ish light these rivers became flow silver serpent . When the moonlight was…pic.twitter.com/SGIUAJLhpP
Pettit also get an image of a pass comet .
It is totally awesome to see a comet from orbit . The perspective of stand up through the aura on border is truly alone from our vantage point . The comet seat is still too slow to see with your optic , but it is head towards the sun and produce brighter every day . This comet…pic.twitter.com/wsrevVpjDv
Beautiful colors at the starting signal of the twelvemonth .
Our New Year ’s light showpic.twitter.com/NB3gq8dxuf
Can you spot Everest ?
Mt. Everest is in this photo ; can you find it ? It is the cock-a-hoop mountain that adhere up high up . Mount Everest is the tall peak in a whole kitchen range of magniloquent elevation and not well found . We have a way of picking it out , sort of like a geographic mnemonic that serves to impress rookie…pic.twitter.com/tgAoLLoS21
asterisk trails , metropolis lights … and Starlink satellites !
organization flying ; Starlink satellites tracing parallel personal line of credit in the sky . Thanks to@BabakTafreshifor assembling this clip from timelapse images.pic.twitter.com/9vCKt1lCx5
Pettit using microgravity for an easy lens swap .
How to interchange a camera lens……pic.twitter.com/JUujYAYSiI
A clip - lapse showing a Crew Dragon ballistic capsule approaching the station .
Crew 10 Dragon fomite arriving!pic.twitter.com/3EZZyZW18b
The Milky Way seen through the windowpane of a docked Crew Dragon ejector seat .
Star field of view from@Space_Station . study from the SpaceX Crew 9 Dragon vehicle showing the Southern Cross region using my homemade star tracker . bighearted thanks to@BabakTafreshifor doing the icon processing I ca n’t do on orbit.pic.twitter.com/Tx4SmHXUXk
The so - visit “ Thai aurora ” is the result of greenish lights on fishing boat .
bed as Thai Aurora , fishing boats off the coast of Thailand use green lights to tempt their catch . Striking view from orbit!pic.twitter.com / xVM3HisSUb
A Dragon cargo space vehicle heading back to Earth .
Draco cargo number 31 undocked yesterday and take back to planet Earth carry the spoils from our research.pic.twitter.com/YdG6CgF8EU
A in the end , a bit of fun in microgravity conditions .
OK ; you all ask if this was potential … .. pic.twitter.com / sMmJJtQNMy
