JAXA ASTRONAUT CAPTURES BREATHTAKING PICTURE OF AURORA LIGHTS FROM SPACE
NASA astronauts have taken incredible photographs from the International Space Station (ISS) over the years. Before he returned to Earth, for instance, Don Pettit dazzled us with his aerial photographs of towns, comets, and auroras. It appears that another astronaut has now followed in his footsteps. The Japanese national space agency JAXA's Kimiya Yui has been sharing excellent astrophotography on social media.
As a member of Expeditions 73 and 74, the Japanese astronaut has been on the ISS since August and is currently on his second mission. During his more than 220 days in orbit, he has honed his ability to capture the beauty of our planet from above. Yui has captured some amazing pictures of the aurora's green-and-pink radiance across the Earth's curvature.
The Kibo module and the Aurora share the spotlight in a lot of the astronauts' photos. The module, which gets its name from the Japanese word for "hope," allows astronauts to study various space phenomena by exposing experiments to the vacuum of space through an airlock.
Yui frequently describes the extremes he takes to get these shots, such was orking through the night or staying up late, to go along with the striking photographs. He occasionally captions the images he posts with a motivational saying. Yui once wrote, "Those of you who are busy could feel that you've already used up all your energy by Monday." That's how I feel sometimes, too. The Earth gives me energy and presents me with different appearances on the ISS. I'll give you some of that Earthly strength, then.
In addition to his photographic pursuits, Yui works as a flight engineer and is responsible for testing technology for upcoming lunar missions, performing biological and physics research, and using the station's robotic arm to photograph spacecraft. Along with necessary supplies and research materials, this also includes the new HTV-X cargo truck that is transporting the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The astronaut wrote in a brave and morally upright statement, "I'm waiting for you! Don't worry, I'll catch you gently!"