Milky Way, zodiacal light and Starlink: Astronaut ‘hit’ the jackpot in space

NASA astronaut Don Pettit continues to impress with his abilities as a professional photographer. He recently shared a breathtaking photo taken from the window of the Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS). The peculiarity of the image was the fact that several objects were simultaneously captured on it.

A photograph that simultaneously shows the Milky Way, zodiacal light, Starlink satellites, streaks of night cities and dawn. Photo: Don Pettit

“One photo with: Milkyway, Zodical [sic] light, Starlink satellites as streaks, stars as pin points, atmosphere on edge showing OH emission as burned umber (my favorite Crayon color), soon to rise sun, and cities at night as streaks,” Pettit in the photo’s publication.

In the image, the Earth clearly stands out at the bottom of the frame, while the rest of the space is filled with a starry sky. A closer look reveals streaks in the darkness – SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, which provide internet connectivity for the planet’s inhabitants. 

The Milky Way and zodiacal light

The Milky Way is visible in the center of the photo, and the zodiacal light – a faint triangular glow caused by the scattering of sunlight by interplanetary dust particles in the solar System – can be seen nearby. 

Oxygen emissions and their glow

A natural phenomenon known as hydroxyl luminescence occurs in the upper atmosphere – the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. It is caused by the release of infrared radiation from excited hydroxyl (OH) molecules. The image shows this effect as a brown tint on the Earth’s surface.

Breathtaking ISS panoramas

During four space missions over the past 30 years, Don Pettit has developed a reputation as a master photographer, his images attracted admiration around the world. Social media has become the platform through which Pettit shares his photo masterpieces with his thousands of fans.

His recent ones include a photo of Crew Dragon returning to Earth at high speed, and a unique shot of the Starship launch from SpaceX’s Spaceport in Texas. Thanks to a happy coincidence, the ISS flew over the launch site at the exact moment of launch.

Earlier we reported on how astronauts on the ISS showed the first aurora borealis of 2025.

According to Digital Trends

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