Anil Menon Captures the Ethereal Glow of Earth’s Orbit

Four distinct night cycles flicker past the Dragon spacecraft’s port window in a new sequence shared by astronaut Anil Menon. The footage, a compilation of raw long-exposure photographs, reveals a rhythmic dance of light against the deep void, capturing the quiet, high-altitude perspective of our planet after dark.

Editorial·September 22, 2026·reads: 274

Anil Menon Captures the Ethereal Glow of Earth’s Orbit

The video, assembled by an automated process without altering the original image data, highlights the precision of orbital photography. Menon utilized a Nikon Z9 camera equipped with a 14mm lens at f/1.4 aperture, employing 15-second exposures at ISO 800 to pierce the darkness. These settings render the Earth’s surface as a backdrop for the deliberate movement of satellites, which Menon identified as likely belonging to the Starlink constellation.

Observers on social media responded to the footage with a mix of aesthetic appreciation and existential reflection. While some simply lauded the visual clarity, others pointed toward the fragility of the atmosphere displayed in the shots. By condensing multiple night cycles into a single view, the sequence emphasizes the rapid transit of low-Earth orbit, where the transition from darkness to light occurs far more frequently than on the ground.