Expedition 30 and
Expedition 31 Flight Engineer
Don Pettit provided information about photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then 'stack' them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure."
The image includes many natural and artificial lights that astronauts see while passing over the night side of Earth. On the ground, stationary features like cities appear as pale yellow-white streaks.
Looking toward the horizon, thunderstorms dot the landscape. Many of the compiled frames captured bright white lightning flashes. Above the horizon, a faint green-yellow phenomenon called airglow hugs the upper atmosphere. Look carefully at the large version of this image for at least one streak of light that is not aligned with all the others. That is a satellite.
Additional info from this source.
The camera for these shots is "mounted on a bracket in the Cupola"
[1].
This file was a finalist in Picture of the Year 2021. This is a featured picture on Wikimedia Commons (
Featured pictures) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here.
Wikipedia
This is a featured picture on the Spanish language Wikipedia (
Recursos destacados) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here. This is a featured picture on the Persian language Wikipedia (
نگارههای برگزیده) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here. This is a featured picture on the Indonesian language Wikipedia (
Gambar pilihan) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here.
The NASA website hosts a large number of images from the
Soviet/
Russian space agency, and other non-American space agencies. These are not necessarily in the public domain.
The
SOHO (ESA & NASA) joint project implies that all materials created by its probe are copyrighted and require permission for commercial non-educational use.
[3]
Star trails and light-on-Earth trails composite image created by International Space Station Expedition 30 crew member Don Pettit
Sternspuren und Lichtspuren auf der Erde, erstellt von Don Pettit, Besatzungsmitglied der Internationalen Raumstation Expedition 30
Звездные следы и черточки света на Земле — это фото получено слиянием фотографий на длинной выдержке, автор — Дон Петтит, космонавт 30-й экспедиции МКС, 2012
Imagen compuesta de rastros de estrellas y rastros de luz en la Tierra creada por Don Pettit, miembro de la tripulación de la Expedición 30 de la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Imagine compozită a traseelor stelelor și a traseelor de lumină de pe Pământ, creată de membrul echipajului Expediția 30 al Stației Spațiale Internaționale Don Pettit.
Expedition 30 and
Expedition 31 Flight Engineer
Don Pettit provided information about photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then 'stack' them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure."
The image includes many natural and artificial lights that astronauts see while passing over the night side of Earth. On the ground, stationary features like cities appear as pale yellow-white streaks.
Looking toward the horizon, thunderstorms dot the landscape. Many of the compiled frames captured bright white lightning flashes. Above the horizon, a faint green-yellow phenomenon called airglow hugs the upper atmosphere. Look carefully at the large version of this image for at least one streak of light that is not aligned with all the others. That is a satellite.
Additional info from this source.
The camera for these shots is "mounted on a bracket in the Cupola"
[1].
This file was a finalist in Picture of the Year 2021. This is a featured picture on Wikimedia Commons (
Featured pictures) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here.
Wikipedia
This is a featured picture on the Spanish language Wikipedia (
Recursos destacados) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here. This is a featured picture on the Persian language Wikipedia (
نگارههای برگزیده) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here. This is a featured picture on the Indonesian language Wikipedia (
Gambar pilihan) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination
here.
The NASA website hosts a large number of images from the
Soviet/
Russian space agency, and other non-American space agencies. These are not necessarily in the public domain.
The
SOHO (ESA & NASA) joint project implies that all materials created by its probe are copyrighted and require permission for commercial non-educational use.
[3]
Star trails and light-on-Earth trails composite image created by International Space Station Expedition 30 crew member Don Pettit
Sternspuren und Lichtspuren auf der Erde, erstellt von Don Pettit, Besatzungsmitglied der Internationalen Raumstation Expedition 30
Звездные следы и черточки света на Земле — это фото получено слиянием фотографий на длинной выдержке, автор — Дон Петтит, космонавт 30-й экспедиции МКС, 2012
Imagen compuesta de rastros de estrellas y rastros de luz en la Tierra creada por Don Pettit, miembro de la tripulación de la Expedición 30 de la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Imagine compozită a traseelor stelelor și a traseelor de lumină de pe Pământ, creată de membrul echipajului Expediția 30 al Stației Spațiale Internaționale Don Pettit.