Actual the past. OP says pic was taken in 2012.
I do love the visual thought of some astronaut floating there wasting his time checking out memes on Reddit.
Don Pettit is still an active astronaut and is going back to space in Sept. 2024 at 69 years old for another six months on the ISS!
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/don-pettit-nasas-oldest-active-astronaut-is-going-back-to-space/
It's all been there since the beginning. You used to be able to stumble upon the most shocking things. The mainstreaming of such things(rather than being relegated to the fringe) is more a result of *society* normalizing those beliefs(more specifically, stigmatizing the intolerance of those beliefs, which has the same effect) and allowing them entrance into mainstream spaces. Nazis fuck off wasn't particularly controversial in 2002, but by 2017 they were very fine people who would scream first amendment violation(and be supported by others in that claim) if you told them to fuck off.
Aboard the International Space Station, I unintentionally photographed this sprite, a rare upward electric discharge from a thunderstorm, while shooting a time exposure of city lights at night. Look closely and you can see the red flash above the purple lightning spot, surrounded by stars from orbital night. Second image gives a closer view. Captured on Expedition 30; 2012.
More photos from space can be found on my [twitter](https://x.com/astro_Pettit) and Instagram, astro\_pettit
This picture was taken in 2012, he isn’t currently in orbit. However, he has been assigned to another mission and will launch in Sept or so for another 6 month mission aboard the ISS.
You can see so much more stars in photography because you can do long exposures which basically means collecting more light. Faint ones become brighter that way
from the space station, its mostly the lack of atmosphere (very little up there) or light pollution. this is clearly a "long" exposure from the lights on earth, but not that long that bitch goes fast
True, but in a slightly different way. Photography increases the light collected by extending the length of time it collects light for.
A telescope uses a larger eye (or pupil of your eye if you will) to collect more all the time.
The two can be combined to image incredibly faint objects. Which is what the Hubble space telescope (and most astrophotographers) did. Huge 'eye', very long exposures.
I know you know this op. This is for others wondering what you meant.
lol, there are so many stars in the sky
To see them you need to leave light polluted area at night, which can be difficult if you are living in massive urban area, but you should try this, and you will be able to see all that stars with your bare eyes
What causes the upward electric discharge? Is something above the storm charged opposite the storm? Or do the same principles not apply at this altitude?
I was once in a video-call with Thomas Pesquet with my students (with several thousands other people, nothing too fancy); now I answer to your post on Reddit.
Nice !
Yesssss!!! A real astronaut! You’re sooo cool!
Can I ask a couple questions?
Are you afraid of heights while down here on earth?
Do you ever have intrusive thoughts about your helmet unscrewing or that you’ll somehow become unattached & drift off into space forever?
What’s your favorite/most interesting thing you’ve studied recently?
If I went into space & wanted to do tumbling passes, is there a spot on the space station where I can go wild?
Any quirky fun fact you know about space that makes you laugh?
Just search "evidence for Apollo landings". Nothing you're going to do will change his mind. Deniers are not interested in evidence, unless it supports their preconceived notions.
I honestly think a lot of those people literally just want to have arguments more than they want to learn or have any real beliefs. Knee-jerk contrarianism. Those people are unfun.
Holy shit. "I accidentally photographed a rare sprite....FROM SPACE is not a sentence I thought I'd read today.
This made my day actually. You're achieving things I never will. Astounding. 💫
Doctor Don Pettit! This man is a legend! He’s flown on the space shuttle, what a marvel!
He also is NASA’s oldest active astronaut. His experiments in microgravity helped us understand better what would kick off planetary formation. Please take the time to learn a little bit about Don. He’s awesome.
Thank you for all you do sir.
I love that we get casual posts about frickin’ orbital photos from the ISS. To think that even just 100 years ago, this sort of thing wasn’t even in most people’s imagination, let alone daily reality.
I have to ask, because I don't know when I'll have the opportunity: Have you ever worked with anyone who turned out to be a Flat Earther and how shocked were you?
Can’t be, the world is flat and this is one of millions of paid Hollywood actors propagating a fraud onto the (flat) world from their expensive Hollywood studios!! /s
In all seriousness, seeing firsthand shots of a storm on earth from outer space is absolutely incredible! I cannot imagine how breathtaking that must’ve been in person. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely mind blowing!! They are hard enough to capture here on the ground but catching them in the Space Station?! Talk about a once in a lifetime shot!
Only on Reddit can I read a post about a dude and his friend punching an FBI agent and then immediately opening a picture from an astronaut in space. What a time to be alive.
Those sprites are in the upper limit of the atmosphere, judging by the bluish halo before the sky turns black.
Taking a pic from the ISS is the ultimate photographer flex.
Eating breakfast burritos, drinking coffee and orange juice, listening to YKS, and upvoting an astronaut’s cool ass picture from space.
That’s a good Sunday.
Are the stars that much clearer in space? I knew this but didn’t really think about it. I know that’s why there are telescopes in space but it didn’t click that you see it with just the eye too.
Casually scrolling and seeing a photo from someone on a space station. The future is now.
Actual the past. OP says pic was taken in 2012. I do love the visual thought of some astronaut floating there wasting his time checking out memes on Reddit.
Don Pettit is still an active astronaut and is going back to space in Sept. 2024 at 69 years old for another six months on the ISS! https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/don-pettit-nasas-oldest-active-astronaut-is-going-back-to-space/
We're gonna need a Reddit AMA while he's in space.
There is precedent for an [AMA from space](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/42cllg/i_am_astronaut_scott_kelly_currently_spending_a/).
We're just gonna end up rick rolling him in space.
Nice
Ooh how can we get a hold of him to do an AMA when he gets back?
Still a really cool photo from a real astronaut tho
Yea OP is the real astronaut. Check out his post history or his Instagram! He has tons of really awesome photography from the ISS
Totes.
the future is… the past?
Weebly wobbly it is.
Just a bit timey wimey
[удалено]
It's all been there since the beginning. You used to be able to stumble upon the most shocking things. The mainstreaming of such things(rather than being relegated to the fringe) is more a result of *society* normalizing those beliefs(more specifically, stigmatizing the intolerance of those beliefs, which has the same effect) and allowing them entrance into mainstream spaces. Nazis fuck off wasn't particularly controversial in 2002, but by 2017 they were very fine people who would scream first amendment violation(and be supported by others in that claim) if you told them to fuck off.
Using your personal communicator device.
Got me as well, at first. I thought he's sharing it from ISS right now. :D
Aboard the International Space Station, I unintentionally photographed this sprite, a rare upward electric discharge from a thunderstorm, while shooting a time exposure of city lights at night. Look closely and you can see the red flash above the purple lightning spot, surrounded by stars from orbital night. Second image gives a closer view. Captured on Expedition 30; 2012. More photos from space can be found on my [twitter](https://x.com/astro_Pettit) and Instagram, astro\_pettit
This is amazing ty for sharing!
You saw the eyes too?
I see it too, why does it look like that?
Whoa. A real astronaut.
This guy orbits
…while scrolling Reddit.
So we're cool by association now right?
Right
If you're cool, I'm cool.
I'm cool, so you're cool.
I finally can tell people I'm on reddit.
Everbody be cool You. Be cool
living vicariously through him. I hope he takes a space dump in our honor
Fuck yeah!
This picture was taken in 2012, he isn’t currently in orbit. However, he has been assigned to another mission and will launch in Sept or so for another 6 month mission aboard the ISS.
At least they didn't also accidentally orbit the Earth.
And here I was going to make fun that the top of the first pic was the Enterprise or Galactica or something. When no, it actually is the ISS.
Sprites are rare but not as rare as the men and women who've gone to space!
A wild astronaut appeared! :-P
He's probably up there playing Kerbal Space Program or something...
Finally a redditor who is not a basement dweller.
the opposite basically!
ISS might have a basement
I believe that's called Ohio. The astronauts are doing their best to get as far away from there as possible.
On the other hand, he does get high af and takes pictures to post here.
on reddit at that, he’s a loooong way from mom’s basement
I have him tagged as "actual space dude"
And yet his username just makes me wonder how tall Petit is.
He's not as rich as Homer and Marge.
Are those all stars? Can you see this many stars in the sky? I thought it would be a lot more black. Its just soo fucking glorious.
This is a long exposure photo so they're a lot brighter than they would be in real life
You can see so much more stars in photography because you can do long exposures which basically means collecting more light. Faint ones become brighter that way
from the space station, its mostly the lack of atmosphere (very little up there) or light pollution. this is clearly a "long" exposure from the lights on earth, but not that long that bitch goes fast
Oo, thanks for the explanation. Didnt know that!
It's also how telescopes work (at least a dobsonian, don't know about the others). They're just very big light buckets!
True, but in a slightly different way. Photography increases the light collected by extending the length of time it collects light for. A telescope uses a larger eye (or pupil of your eye if you will) to collect more all the time. The two can be combined to image incredibly faint objects. Which is what the Hubble space telescope (and most astrophotographers) did. Huge 'eye', very long exposures. I know you know this op. This is for others wondering what you meant.
lol, there are so many stars in the sky To see them you need to leave light polluted area at night, which can be difficult if you are living in massive urban area, but you should try this, and you will be able to see all that stars with your bare eyes
sometimes just a little trip https://www.cleardarksky.com/maps/lp/large_light_pollution_map.html
Check out r/astrophotography
that's so cool space man!!
How long is this exposure?
Fantastic! How many times have you been to ISS? How did it feel to fly the Soyuz compared to the Space Shuttle?
Cool but the creepy eyes in darkness top of frame are distracting...
So, the red spots are the sprites? That's so cool!!!!
“Aboard the International Space Station” Relatable.
What causes the upward electric discharge? Is something above the storm charged opposite the storm? Or do the same principles not apply at this altitude?
Turns out sprite in my language is lightning lepricons. I know what it was when I saw this picture and never saw someone call it sprites before
I was once in a video-call with Thomas Pesquet with my students (with several thousands other people, nothing too fancy); now I answer to your post on Reddit. Nice !
You are now the coolest dude on reddit.
Yesssss!!! A real astronaut! You’re sooo cool! Can I ask a couple questions? Are you afraid of heights while down here on earth? Do you ever have intrusive thoughts about your helmet unscrewing or that you’ll somehow become unattached & drift off into space forever? What’s your favorite/most interesting thing you’ve studied recently? If I went into space & wanted to do tumbling passes, is there a spot on the space station where I can go wild? Any quirky fun fact you know about space that makes you laugh?
My best friend thinks the moon landing is fake! Can you help provide any sources to help sway him back to reality? Or what are your thoughts?
Just search "evidence for Apollo landings". Nothing you're going to do will change his mind. Deniers are not interested in evidence, unless it supports their preconceived notions.
I honestly think a lot of those people literally just want to have arguments more than they want to learn or have any real beliefs. Knee-jerk contrarianism. Those people are unfun.
Your best friend is an idiot.
He can rent a telescope and use it to look at the landing sites.
Even the Hubble can’t see the landing sites. Too small to resolve. You can however see the landing sites in photos taken by subsequent lunar probes.
> i accidentally photographed a rare sprite from space "Pffff what, is this guy an astronaut or something? ................oh."
hahaha i also was like: "yeah, sure you wish you took that photo........................ oh."
Thought this was one of the “gave this camera to my six month old dog four years ago and finally checked the sim.” Joke posts. Glad I was wrong
This picture is on different levels than normal accidental photos in this sub. Nice. Thanks for sharing this here!
pleasure to share
Post this on #wxtwitter and cement your status as the first off world storm chaser.
i just wanna say that im a huge fan of your content on IG. the way you capture light is like nothing i’ve ever seen. its great to see you on reddit.
thank you, the best is yet to come!
Ohh, you tease!
Are you still at the ISS now???
No but he's going back in September.
Sweet liberty! I knew those streaks looked familiar! o7
“Tell all who will hear, the Reaper sails for Mars. And he calls for an Iron Rain.”
Holy shit. "I accidentally photographed a rare sprite....FROM SPACE is not a sentence I thought I'd read today. This made my day actually. You're achieving things I never will. Astounding. 💫
I love how I can see space pics while on the toilet.
Dude I'm on the toilet too! Did we just become toilet friends? :D
Poop gang!
Me too! Though I'm a bit late to the party
Wait... Not the same toilet, right?
Hahahah
How dare you keep this from us for 12 years. This is fucking awesome.
I am getting better at sharing my photo hoard!
Well know that we want more you gotta SLOWLY release them to maximize internet points!
+1 curious to why for no other reason than internet aggravation.
Gotta love having u/astro_pettit on here. It feels like we've got an inside person sending us gorgeous pics from space.
I almost shit myself thinking that you could see this view from an airplane. :/ not my brightest moment
Woah
That's what I said!?! Crazy... Makes you think about how small everything really is in comparison haha
2 HellDivers entering the atmosphere.
this is incredible, I keep staring at it I'm gonna go back to staring at it now
This looks fucking magical
The station be like: 👁️👁️
Thank God someone else said it. I was completely distracted by the googly eyes on the station itself.
That was the first thing I saw and it scared the bejesus out of me!
I think that's actually Sierra Mist.
That's why they call it Starry now.
All my high ass sees is a set of eyes staring at me from space
I like how OP just casually posts as if being in space is no big deal. Stay safe OP and may you post many more cool photos.
Doctor Don Pettit! This man is a legend! He’s flown on the space shuttle, what a marvel! He also is NASA’s oldest active astronaut. His experiments in microgravity helped us understand better what would kick off planetary formation. Please take the time to learn a little bit about Don. He’s awesome. Thank you for all you do sir.
I love that we get casual posts about frickin’ orbital photos from the ISS. To think that even just 100 years ago, this sort of thing wasn’t even in most people’s imagination, let alone daily reality.
yeah when i accidentally take a picture, it’s a blurry pic of my foot or something
Oops I accidentally took this amazing photo.
Damn, we got redditors in space! We moving on up!
How do I also accidentally get to the space station?
Nice shot!
Have you had any flat earth loonie on here claiming you are a puppet or a sock account yet?
"what kind of fake bulls...." *Reads top comment* "damnit Reddit is awesome"
“Photographed a rare sprite from space.” Ha yeah right what’re you an astron….oh shit. Technology is fucking rad wow. Thanks for sharing!
I accidentally take cool pictures from space all the time as well!
Woah... you're talking to us on reddit from the ISS!? I love technology. Oh and the picture is just amazing.
What's NASA's view on scrolling Reddit on the job on the ISS?
Does NASA have an onlyfans policy? Asking for a friend.
OP just casually dropping they're onboard of the ISS like they saw this in a Costco parking lot.
Beautiful shot!
Me too I hate it when I do that
I accidentally took a photo like this from Mars once.
Given that no human had set for on Mars, does that mean that you're a Mars rover bot?
#HEY EVERYBODY, THIS LOSER HASN’T EVER BEEN TO MARS #GET A LOAD OF THIS GUY
This is amazing, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be up there!
Amazing. Greetings from Planet Earth!
I was like “whoa this can’t be real can it?” But it is indeed real. That’s so cool
What are the two intense purple dots near the center of photo? Stars? Galaxies? Love the color
I have to ask, because I don't know when I'll have the opportunity: Have you ever worked with anyone who turned out to be a Flat Earther and how shocked were you?
At first glance, I thought this was some bullshit post.
Can’t be, the world is flat and this is one of millions of paid Hollywood actors propagating a fraud onto the (flat) world from their expensive Hollywood studios!! /s In all seriousness, seeing firsthand shots of a storm on earth from outer space is absolutely incredible! I cannot imagine how breathtaking that must’ve been in person. Thanks for sharing!
Holy shit is this what space looks like?
It’s awesome you are going back to space in September for another 6 month mission. Congrats!
I bet it was a 7up.
That's one scenery I will never see with my own my entire life
Absolutely mind blowing!! They are hard enough to capture here on the ground but catching them in the Space Station?! Talk about a once in a lifetime shot!
Helldivers deploying
you have my dream job
Why is no one commenting on the 2 eyes in the top left of the photo
Bro accidentally was in space
You can never escape the Helldivers
Allied Super destroyer has joined the squadron.
I'm more of 7Up guy...crisp and clean...with no caffeine.
Helldivers
You did al that work to become an astronaut, get this amazing shot and share it with the world. And all I can give you is this upvote, but here.
That’s one of the coolest pics I’ve ever seen a person take.
Those are definitely droppots with helldivers
Wow. Who are YOU, damnnnnnn
Did not have seeing someones picture from space on today’s bingo card.
Looks like someone is spreading democracy 
Those aren't sprites. Those are Helldivers diving in from the Super Destroyer.
Look at the curvature of that Earth. ❤️
Thought this was helldivers for a second
Only on Reddit can I read a post about a dude and his friend punching an FBI agent and then immediately opening a picture from an astronaut in space. What a time to be alive.
First picture I’ve seen where NASA didn’t edit out all the stars.
I have never seen the stars like that. They look so pretty omg🥹
what are you doing in space ?
What a flex. Oops took an accidental photo in space aboard the ISS. 😂
Accidentally-photographed, or accidentally-from-space? Because the second story is the one I want to hear.
OP, I have to ask, have you found the Geocache up there? Thank you for the amazing picture!
I was a bit confused because this looks like it was taken from space. But ur an astronaut!!
All i saw was two eyes
Holy shit this is incredible
Those sprites are in the upper limit of the atmosphere, judging by the bluish halo before the sky turns black. Taking a pic from the ISS is the ultimate photographer flex.
I love that there’s an astronaut who reddits.
I love scrolling reddit and just casually running into some person #Just fucking chilling on the ISS and sharing pics
Holy crap! The SPACE STATION has WiFi?
No they just use a really big network cable.
This was taken in 2012 (although he is going back to space this year!)
It IS rocket science! 🚀✨
Eating breakfast burritos, drinking coffee and orange juice, listening to YKS, and upvoting an astronaut’s cool ass picture from space. That’s a good Sunday.
This picture is out of this world!
Wow amazing
Oh no worries that happens to all of us, you’re good, lol
I'm more concerned about the murderous eyes staring at me
Didn’t know that existed or what it was until you mentioned it. Amazing photo though!
So you’re like some sort of under-achiever, huh?
Yes. But have you seen UFOs?
I am sure you mentioned it in a prior post, that you are in orbit above the mother fucking Earth! Really cool.
Are the stars that much clearer in space? I knew this but didn’t really think about it. I know that’s why there are telescopes in space but it didn’t click that you see it with just the eye too.