u/astro_pettit

Riverside lights of the Nile beneath a starry sky. I took this photo on Expedition 30 to the ISS in 2012 when the majority of the lights were still sodium vapor, creating a thin golden glow that stretched from Alexandria to Aswan. One of the most striking nighttime views from orbit!

More photos from space can be seen from my twitter and instagram, astro_pettit

Milky Way galaxy with a bright planet Venus rising through the hazy red airglow of Earth's atmosphere, above scattered purple lightning flashes. Two stormy worlds shining among endless stars!

More deep space photos from ISS can be found on my twitter and Instagram, astro_pettit

Miami, Florida in 2025 (1st), taken during Expedition 72 to the ISS. This city has changed tremendously since my previous mission in 2012 (2nd image), replacing its yellow-orange sodium vapor lights with multi-colored LEDs. The city grid really pops! This LED takeover of city lighting is world wide, having replaced most gas discharge lamps around the world in relatively short time. Miami is one of many cities I have documented these changes on during my 4 missions to space. For those interested, more cities at night photography like this can be found on my twitter and Instagram, astro_pettit

Miami, Florida as seen from the ISS in 2025. This city has changed tremendously since my previous mission, replacing its yellow-orange sodium vapor lights with multi-colored LEDs. The city grid really pops! This LED takeover of city lighting is world wide. I have images of world wide cities at night showing growth and changes in lighting technology from 2002 to 2025, which I have documented across my four missions to space. More city photography from space can be seen on my twitter and Instagram, astro_pettit

Milky Way rising over the sparse lights of Mongolia, seen through the window of SpaceX Dragon. The oval shape and position on ISS gives excellent views of both deep space and the Earth! Taken on Expedition 72 to ISS with Nikon Z9, Arri Zeiss 15mm lens, T1.8 with custom orbital sidereal tracker.

More astrophotography from space can be found on my twitter and Instagram, astro_pettit