Matthew Dominick, a NASA astronaut currently residing on the International Space Station (ISS), has treated us to a breathtaking time-lapse video capturing the Earth, an aurora, the Milky Way, and the station itself. This mesmerizing 27-second sequence, shared on social media, showcases the dynamic interplay of light reflections from the ISS’s solar arrays against the backdrop of city lights and the vibrant auroral display.
Dominick, who has been aboard the orbiting outpost since March, describes the video as a “time-lapse of solar arrays reflecting aurora and city lights as they align themselves for the impending sunrise.” He reveals that he was so captivated by the mesmerizing spectacle of the solar array reflections that he stayed up until 1 a.m. to capture several more sunrises. As the ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes, he’s treated to a stunning sunrise every hour and a half.
For the uninitiated, a time-lapse is created by setting up a camera to automatically capture multiple pictures of a scene at regular intervals. These images are then strung together to create a video, effectively showcasing changes that occur slowly over time. Dominick, on his first orbital mission, has quickly established himself as a skilled space photographer, willingly sharing his methods and camera settings with the world.
For this particular time-lapse sequence, Dominick used a 15mm lens at f/1.8 with an exposure time of 1.6 seconds and an ISO of 6400. The shutter snapped every two seconds, resulting in a final time-lapse with 15 frames per second. Dominick emphasizes that a still image can’t capture the full essence of the dynamic ‘dance’ the solar arrays perform, reflecting the aurora and city lights, which is best appreciated in the time-lapse video.
However, he also acknowledges that he often sets up time-lapses to capture individual frames with exceptional lighting. “One of the techniques I have learned over the past few months to get great still photos is to set up lots of time-lapses to find great lighting,” Dominick shared in his latest post.
Dominick is set to return home in the coming weeks, but before he departs, he’ll have the opportunity to learn from experienced NASA astronaut and space photography maestro, Don Pettit, who will be arriving at the station for a six-month stay later this month. We eagerly await the future space photography collaborations that will emerge from this dynamic duo.
