- The ISS released stunning nighttime images of India showing city lights from orbit
- Images reveal India's illuminated cities, highways, and villages from space
- Astronauts use long-exposure cameras to capture detailed Earth night photos
The International Space Station (ISS) has released mesmerisng nighttime images of India captured from orbit, offering a dazzling view of the subcontinent lit up by thousands of city lights as the spacecraft passed over the Arabian Sea and the Himalayan region. Shared on the ISS's official account on X, the images show India glowing beneath a dark sky, with clusters of lights forming intricate, web-like patterns across the landscape. The illuminated network highlights major cities connected by highways, while smaller clusters reveal towns and villages shining across the country.
"The well-lit nighttime cityscape of India pictured from the International Space Station as it soared over the Arabian Sea and across the Himalayas," the tweet read.
See the pictures here:
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station regularly photograph Earth at night using specialised digital cameras fitted with long-exposure settings. These techniques allow them to capture detailed images of city lights, coastlines, and geographic features as the station orbits the planet.
The images sparked excitement among space enthusiasts and Indian social media users, many of whom were fascinated by how the lights trace the outline of the Indian subcontinent.
One user wrote, "India is glowing from space, a reminder of how human energy and culture shine even brighter than city lights."
"The way the lights trace the entire shape of the subcontinent is incredible. It is one of the most beautiful views from the ISS," commented a second user while a third said, "The contrast between the mountain shadows and the city lights is stunning. It's hard to believe this is one continuous view. Who else can spot their home city in this?"
About ISS
The ISS's official X account frequently shares high-resolution photographs taken by astronauts from the orbital laboratory's windows, offering rare perspectives of Earth from space. According to NASA, the ISS orbits at an altitude of between 370 km and 460 km above the Earth. From this vantage point, it regularly shares imagery of the Earth.
The ISS has served as a centre for space research and technological advances, serving as humans' only permanent residence outside of Earth. The space station completes one orbit in about 90 minutes. Launched in 1998 by the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and members of the European Space Agency (ESA), the ISS is the size of a football field and weighs about the same as a jam-packed Boeing 747. Five space agencies representing 15 countries operate the ISS.
