This image of star trails was compiled from time-lapse photography taken by NASA astronaut Christina Koch while onboard the International Space Station.
This image of star trails was compiled from time-lapse photography taken by NASA astronaut Christina Koch from aboard the International Space Station, taken in July 2019. This composite image was made from more than 400 individual photos taken over a span of about 11 minutes as the station traveled from Namibia toward the Red Sea.
The image includes many natural and artificial lights that an astronaut may see during an orbit at night. On the ground, stationary features like cities appear as pale yellow-white dotted streaks; with each dot marking another frame captured. Many of the thinner dotted lines with darker orange hues are fires burning across Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Image Credit: NASA/Caption by Andrea Meado