Nasa shares 2024’s ‘best International Space Station images’

As the space station soared some 250 miles above Lake Michigan, Nasa astronaut Don Pettit captured this long-exposure photograph of city lights streaking across Earth while a green and red aurora moved through the atmosphere. Observing urban lighting from space provides researchers with insights into population density, city expansion, and disaster prevention. (Credit: Nasa)

Nasa astronaut stuck in space at least till early 2025, Sunita Williams worked on the Plant Water Management 5/6 investigation, which studies the physical properties of fluids, such as surface tension, in space. The results could support the design of systems for improved plant growth in reduced gravity. (Photo credit: Nasa)

A total solar eclipse crossed Mexico, the United States, and Canada, darkening skies for millions as the Moon passed between Earth and the Sun. Astronauts aboard the station captured the lunar shadow moving across the North American continent. (Credit: Nasa)

Nasa astronaut Matt Dominick aboard the space station captured this waxing lunar crescent illuminated by sunlight. The Moon’s dim glow, caused by earthshine, occurs when sunlight reflects off Earth onto the Moon. Scientists study Earth’s brightness, or albedo, using this phenomenon. The photo also reveals Earth’s atmospheric layers, including the orange troposphere near the surface and the thicker, light-blue stratosphere above. (Credit: Nasa)

Nasa astronaut Loral O’Hara photographed this part of Canada’s Arctic region using a handheld digital camera. The sea ice, influenced by ocean currents, forms visible swirls along the coast of Labrador in eastern Canada. The National Snow and Ice Data Center noted that sea ice growth in the Arctic was slower than typical in January 2024. Observing Earth’s climate from the space station provides scientists with crucial data to better understand our planet. (Credit: Nasa)

This plate shows bacteria collected from the space station. The GEARS investigation uses genetic analysis to detect strains that may have gained resistance to antibiotics, which could endanger crew health. Understanding these risks could assist scientists in creating protective measures for astronauts on future extended missions. (Credit: Nasa)

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is testing the JEM Internal Ball Camera 2, a free-flying robotic camera designed to autonomously navigate and capture video and images aboard the space station. This technology aims to reduce the workload on crew members, allowing them to focus on other tasks, such as conducting scientific research. (Credit: Nasa)

Developed for educational, government, and private groups, CubeSats advance science and technology across various fields. The small satellites ready for ejection include CosmoGirl-Sat, SaganSat0, SAKURA, Wiseseed Sat, and Binar-2/3/4. (Credit: Nasa)

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, part of Nasa’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission, approached the International Space Station to dock at the Harmony module’s space-facing port. These missions routinely deliver research materials and supplies to support station operations. (Credit: Nasa)

Nasa astronaut Matthew Dominick captured stunning red sprites from the space station. These bright red flashes, visible high above the clouds in Earth’s upper atmosphere, are a little-understood phenomenon linked to powerful lightning events. Red sprites belong to a category known as Transient Luminous Events—vivid bursts of energy that appear above storms due to lightning activity in and beneath the clouds. Studying these atmospheric processes can enhance climate modeling and monitoring efforts. (Image credit: Nasa)