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Don Pettit

@astro_Pettit • 186,960 subscribers

NASA Astronaut. Photographer. Scientist. Inventor.

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Star trails from the ISS! Lots of cool physics to see in these. Stars moving as thin lines in the direction of our orbital path but forming arcs to the left of our velocity vector. Lightning flashes making purple spots into the time history. City lights streak by. A faint red glow is seen as part of our upper atmosphere. Surreal!

Star trails from the ISS! Lots of cool physics to see in these. Stars moving as thin lines in the direction of our orbital path but forming arcs to the left of our velocity vector. Lightning flashes making purple spots into the time history. City lights streak by. A faint red glow is seen as part of our upper atmosphere. Surreal!

424,347 views

Dragon cargo number 31 undocked yesterday and returned to planet Earth carrying the spoils from our research.

Dragon cargo number 31 undocked yesterday and returned to planet Earth carrying the spoils from our research.

29,223,295 views

Timelapse of the ISS Optimal Propellent Maneuver (OPM)! We use this to reorient station's attitude in preparation for docking events. This one occurred over some magnificent Mediterranean city lights!

Timelapse of the ISS Optimal Propellent Maneuver (OPM)! We use this to reorient station's attitude in preparation for docking events. This one occurred over some magnificent Mediterranean city lights!

411,184 views

Cosmic fireflies. Actually, these are Starlink satellites momentarily flashing sunlight towards International Space Station.

Cosmic fireflies. Actually, these are Starlink satellites momentarily flashing sunlight towards International Space Station.

4,165,244 views

My best sighting of a Starlink satellite "train" from orbit!

My best sighting of a Starlink satellite "train" from orbit!

1,973,072 views

In microgravity, crystals experience "hopper growth," where the outer edges and corners grow at faster rates than the flat faces, creating a step-like appearance. This timelapse records their growth inside a thin water film. Look closely, and you will see the patterns emerge!

In microgravity, crystals experience "hopper growth," where the outer edges and corners grow at faster rates than the flat faces, creating a step-like appearance. This timelapse records their growth inside a thin water film. Look closely, and you will see the patterns emerge!

292,923 views

Aurora watching into an orbital dawn. This never gets old!

Aurora watching into an orbital dawn. This never gets old!

329,798 views

OK; you all asked if this was possible…..

OK; you all asked if this was possible…..

1,028,026 views

Real-time sunset from orbit. They only last about 8 seconds from start to finish, but seeing 16 per day makes up for it! Timelapses through the transition can be challenging as the exposure overwhelms the camera's dynamic range.

Real-time sunset from orbit. They only last about 8 seconds from start to finish, but seeing 16 per day makes up for it! Timelapses through the transition can be challenging as the exposure overwhelms the camera's dynamic range.

140,209 views

How to change a camera lens……

How to change a camera lens……

812,909 views

Gibraltar to Italy. Nothing like learning your geography, not from an atlas but from looking at the real thing.

Gibraltar to Italy. Nothing like learning your geography, not from an atlas but from looking at the real thing.

759,774 views

Homework problem for engineers, physics students, and various Uber-Geeks: The bright metal object in my hands is a 373.3kg (821.2 lbm) counter weight on @space_station. The facing side is 22.2cm (8.75 inches) wide. Calculate my mass. Post answers in questions.

Homework problem for engineers, physics students, and various Uber-Geeks: The bright metal object in my hands is a 373.3kg (821.2 lbm) counter weight on @space_station. The facing side is 22.2cm (8.75 inches) wide. Calculate my mass. Post answers in questions.

674,007 views

Green vaporous turbulence; tonight’s show of aurora from International Space Station

Green vaporous turbulence; tonight’s show of aurora from International Space Station

538,819 views

How to change your camera battery in weightlessness.

How to change your camera battery in weightlessness.

248,010 views

How to dispense pistachios when on orbit

How to dispense pistachios when on orbit

476,147 views

Mother Earth, I am coming home.

Mother Earth, I am coming home.

298,474 views

Aurora seen today from International Space Station while orbit was passing between Australia and Antartrica; photographer Jannicke Mikkelsen now on the private FRAM2 space mission will be having an even better view in their polar orbit.

Aurora seen today from International Space Station while orbit was passing between Australia and Antartrica; photographer Jannicke Mikkelsen now on the private FRAM2 space mission will be having an even better view in their polar orbit.

242,418 views

An orbital sunrise with comet C/2023.

An orbital sunrise with comet C/2023.

132,824 views

Here is a movie clip (processed by Babak- big thanks) sequentially adding the star trail still frames creating orbital motion.

Here is a movie clip (processed by Babak- big thanks) sequentially adding the star trail still frames creating orbital motion.

209,261 views

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Dragon orbiting across Europe into Asia.
0:27
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Dragon orbiting across Europe into Asia.

Don Pettit

64,110,249 views • 1 year ago

Orbiting over wavy green auroras! Moments like these are some of the most surreal in spaceflight. What a view!
0:24
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Orbiting over wavy green auroras! Moments like these are some of the most surreal in spaceflight. What a view!

Don Pettit

503,584 views • 23 days ago

In weightlessness, water can take forms that are not possible under normal gravitational conditions. One example being thin sheets, 500 microns thick, formed in a wire loop like in a soap film but here as pure water with no surfactant.
0:35
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In weightlessness, water can take forms that are not possible under normal gravitational conditions. One example being thin sheets, 500 microns thick, formed in a wire loop like in a soap film but here as pure water with no surfactant.

Don Pettit

873,565 views • 4 months ago

A new spin on orbital video.
0:22
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A new spin on orbital video.

Don Pettit

4,632,979 views • 1 year ago

Spacewalking! The movie 2001 is one of my favorites, I had to try this as a 2025 tribute.
0:41
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Spacewalking! The movie 2001 is one of my favorites, I had to try this as a 2025 tribute.

Don Pettit

2,054,518 views • 1 year ago

The "Dzhanibekov effect", seen in a rotating object where it will flip its axis by 180 degrees, is demonstrated in microgravity with our camera.
0:23
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The "Dzhanibekov effect", seen in a rotating object where it will flip its axis by 180 degrees, is demonstrated in microgravity with our camera.

Don Pettit

934,655 views • 9 months ago

Popping water balloons in space! Without gravity, surface tension pulls the bulk of the water together again into new blobs, even after the energy release from breaking the skin!
0:34
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Popping water balloons in space! Without gravity, surface tension pulls the bulk of the water together again into new blobs, even after the energy release from breaking the skin!

Don Pettit

121,725 views • 1 month ago

Having an Uber Geek moment on orbit; I took a Teflon knitting needle and got charged water drops to orbit around it.
0:35
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Having an Uber Geek moment on orbit; I took a Teflon knitting needle and got charged water drops to orbit around it.

Don Pettit

1,146,192 views • 1 year ago

POV of the space shuttle pitch maneuver! I filmed this from Endeavour on STS-126. The RPM was standard safety procedure to expose the heat shield to ISS for inspection. My commander was gracious enough to let me put a camera on the window to get this, now one of few such videos!
0:39
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POV of the space shuttle pitch maneuver! I filmed this from Endeavour on STS-126. The RPM was standard safety procedure to expose the heat shield to ISS for inspection. My commander was gracious enough to let me put a camera on the window to get this, now one of few such videos!

Don Pettit

101,288 views • 2 months ago

This was so fascinating. I had a teflon knitting needle on ishaan and charged it by rubbing with my Russian fur boots. Then I directed water droplets from a syringe towards the charged knitting needle and this is the resulting dynamics. The droplets, due to charge forces, go into a crazy orbit around the knitting needle. If planets were cylindrical this would be the orbit of its moons due to gravity. Canon G1 video camera, Expedition 30, 2012.
0:26
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This was so fascinating. I had a teflon knitting needle on ishaan and charged it by rubbing with my Russian fur boots. Then I directed water droplets from a syringe towards the charged knitting needle and this is the resulting dynamics. The droplets, due to charge forces, go into a crazy orbit around the knitting needle. If planets were cylindrical this would be the orbit of its moons due to gravity. Canon G1 video camera, Expedition 30, 2012.

Don Pettit

810,767 views • 2 years ago

How to make planet Jupiter: 1) be on the International Space Station 2) make a thin film sphere of water 3) add food coloring 4) blow on the edge to create swirls This is way cool!
0:37
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How to make planet Jupiter: 1) be on the International Space Station 2) make a thin film sphere of water 3) add food coloring 4) blow on the edge to create swirls This is way cool!

Don Pettit

218,416 views • 6 months ago

In the weightlessness on International Space Station I placed a sphere of water with an air bubble on a speaker cone, then drove it with acoustical waves from the speaker. This created a series of standing nodes and anti-nodes that responded to the frequency and amplitude. A zero gravity Lava Lamp! Will post what happens when I drove this with some of my favorite rock and roll! From Expedition 31, 2012.
1:02
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In the weightlessness on International Space Station I placed a sphere of water with an air bubble on a speaker cone, then drove it with acoustical waves from the speaker. This created a series of standing nodes and anti-nodes that responded to the frequency and amplitude. A zero gravity Lava Lamp! Will post what happens when I drove this with some of my favorite rock and roll! From Expedition 31, 2012.

Don Pettit

876,513 views • 2 years ago

High speed frame by frame video of popping water balloons in 0g. It only takes 1-2 frames for the balloon skin to contract leaving the body of water to residual forces without the effects of gravity. Original movie shot at 420 frames per second and each frame sequentially shown for 1/2 second.
0:32
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High speed frame by frame video of popping water balloons in 0g. It only takes 1-2 frames for the balloon skin to contract leaving the body of water to residual forces without the effects of gravity. Original movie shot at 420 frames per second and each frame sequentially shown for 1/2 second.

Don Pettit

56,449 views • 1 month ago

Hello Mother Earth
0:21
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Hello Mother Earth

Don Pettit

288,489 views • 1 year ago

Orbital motion of the ISS, visualized by sequentially adding the still frames of my star trails. Seen are stacking golden streaks of city lights and straight-line stars in our orbital direction. A surreal perspective of our Earth!
0:22
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Orbital motion of the ISS, visualized by sequentially adding the still frames of my star trails. Seen are stacking golden streaks of city lights and straight-line stars in our orbital direction. A surreal perspective of our Earth!

Don Pettit

109,553 views • 8 months ago

I am not the best "Yo-Yoer" on Earth. But in space, I have no competition!
0:22
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I am not the best "Yo-Yoer" on Earth. But in space, I have no competition!

Don Pettit

94,067 views • 7 months ago

This is how I make my star trails. Sequences of still images assembled until the beauty of Earth from International Space Station reshapes into a new form by the forces of time, nature, and physics. Thanks to Christopher Malin for making this video clip from my Expedition 30 photographs.
0:36
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This is how I make my star trails. Sequences of still images assembled until the beauty of Earth from International Space Station reshapes into a new form by the forces of time, nature, and physics. Thanks to Christopher Malin for making this video clip from my Expedition 30 photographs.

Don Pettit

299,886 views • 2 years ago

Free flying propeller on ISS. Video is running at real speed. In weightlessness the propeller can slowly move through the cabin atmosphere.
0:22
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Free flying propeller on ISS. Video is running at real speed. In weightlessness the propeller can slowly move through the cabin atmosphere.

Don Pettit

150,099 views • 1 year ago

Orbital star trails showing satellites flashing white marks into the time history of arcing stars. When viewed up close, they remind me of scratches on a vinyl record!
0:26
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Orbital star trails showing satellites flashing white marks into the time history of arcing stars. When viewed up close, they remind me of scratches on a vinyl record!

Don Pettit

82,849 views • 7 months ago