Astronauts frequently share awe-inspiring images of Earth captured from space on social media, offering a unique perspective that often leaves viewers in wonder. A recent photograph shared by astronaut Matthew Dominick perfectly fits this category, as it depicts a lightning strike over India at night.
In his post on X, Dominick described the effort it took to capture the image: “Lightning at night over India. When trying to capture lightning in an image, I use burst mode and hope lightning strikes in the frame. I was super happy when this lightning strike ended up in the middle of the frame. No crop needed.” The striking image shows a brilliant blue flash illuminating the dark sky.
Watch:
Lightning at night over India.
When trying to capture lighting in an image I use burst mode and hope lighting strikes in the frame. I was super happy when this lightning strike ended up in the middle of the frame. No crop needed.
1/5s, 85mm, f1.4, ISO 6400 pic.twitter.com/OTSVLSBcQP
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) August 17, 2024
The image, which was shared just a few hours ago, was taken from the International Space Station (ISS) and has since garnered significant attention, with over 49,000 views and counting. The post has sparked lively discussions, with many people sharing their thoughts on the breathtaking photograph.
One X user inquired, “Is that blurring of the city lights from camera shake, atmospheric, or just the motion of the orbit?” Dominick responded, “In the bottom middle of the image, you can see lights from boats in the waters that look like short little lines or streaks. The streaks are caused by the space station’s orbital speed and the distance the space station moves in 1/5s (camera’s exposure time). The blur over the city in the left/middle of the frame is likely light haze and/or clouds combined with streaking from orbital speed.”
Other users chimed in with their admiration. One person commented, “Incredible picture!” while another added, “What a picture!” A third user expressed, “This is one of the most interesting photos I have seen in my life.”
Matthew Dominick, who captured this stunning image, has been aboard the ISS since March, continuing his mission. His journey from a US Navy Commander with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering to an astronaut on the ISS is nothing short of inspiring.
