Astronaut Don Pettit took this photo from space on January 27 as the Sun began to rise over a cloudy Pacific Ocean. This long-exposure image shows the broad band of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, above the aurora and airglow closer to Earth's horizon. Astro_Pettit has taken countless incredible photos since arriving on @ISS on September 11, 2024, but he is also conducting dozens of science experiments that will help us learn how to live in space while making life better on Earth. 

Image description:

Stars fill this image taken from orbit as the Earth orbits below. The bright center of the Milky Way extends down from the top center of this image, while other white stars are scattered. The dark greenish Earth fills the lower third of the image, slightly out of focus, with white and purple bands covering the arc-shaped horizon.

Credit: NASA/Don Pettit