Astronaut Don Pettit shares ISS Milky Way photo showing airglow
Technology
Astronaut Don Pettit shared one of his favorite photos from the International Space Station, capturing the Milky Way with a thick red band glowing across Earth's atmosphere.
He explained that because the ISS moves so quickly, stars appear seemingly fixed and lights from Southeast Asia stretch out in colorful lines during long-exposure shots.
Social media praise Pettit photo colors
The photo's vivid colors and details wowed people on social media. Many praised how clear the Milky Way looks and wondered about the massive amount of green.
That striking red band? It's caused by atmospheric airglow, which happens naturally below a starry sky.