In the photo from the space station, the comet is captured just above Earth’s horizon, which is illuminated by a bright light — also known as airglow — that occurs in the planet’s upper atmosphere when atoms and molecules emit light after being excited by sunlight.

Pettit is now in the midst of his third stint on the International Space Station, and the decade he had to prepare for his current stay in orbit was put to good use. Accordingly, he is well stocked on cameras, lenses, and plans to make the most of six months in space to observe the planets and heavens from an incredible vantage point.

He used long exposure camera techniques to capture a jaw-dropping image from 257 miles up on the International Space Station.

One of the many advantages of being in space is having a front-row seat to the most anticipated cosmic events. NASA astronaut Don Pettit, flight engineer for the Expedition 72 crew, proved that when he witnessed Comet ATLAS from the International Space Station,