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My favorite orbital photo of our Milky Way, red atmosphere, and multicolored nighttime lights

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 01/11/2026, 01:47:26 UTC.

Briefings

A user named astro_pettit shared a personal orbital photograph of the Milky Way captured from the International Space Station. The image features a thick red atmospheric glow from airglow, with multicolored city lights from Southeast Asia streaking across the frame due to orbital velocity. The photo was submitted to r/space on October 31, 2026, and includes a link to the user's social media profiles.

Key points

• The image was taken from the International Space Station (ISS) using a star tracker to keep the Milky Way fixed while capturing the moving city lights.
• The red glow is identified as upper atmospheric airglow intensified by the long exposure time, while the multicolored streaks are attributed to LEDs used for fishing off the coast in Southeast Asia.

Context

This finding illustrates the visual effects of orbital photography, specifically how long exposures can transform atmospheric airglow into a prominent red band while capturing dynamic terrestrial lights from specific regions like Southeast Asia.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to a single user's personal submission to a subreddit. No scientific validation, camera specifications, or precise geographic coordinates for the city lights are provided. The source is a social media link without verification of the photo's authenticity or the specific location of the fishing activity.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 01/11/2026, 02:00:48 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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