Spacecraft, stars and city lights | Space photo of the day Feb. 25, 2026

NASA astronaut Chris Williams took this long-duration photograph while aboard the International Space Station as it flew some 261 miles (420 kilometers) above the India-Pakistan border. (Image credit: NASA/JSC)

Cities far below the International Space Station (ISS) and stars far in the cosmic distance create ghostly trails of light in this long-exposure photograph from NASA astronaut Chris Williams.

Williams took the photo as the ISS was orbiting above the India-Pakistan border in the middle of the night local time, while the station was flying at an altitude of around 261 miles (420 kilometers).