Astronaut photo

An astronaut photo is a photograph taken by an astronaut or cosmonaut. These photos are special because they are taken by people who are actually in space, not by machines or satellites. Astronauts use different kinds of cameras, sometimes even their own personal phone cameras, to take pictures of their adventures in space, their teammates, planets, and Earth from above.

Astronaut photos help us learn many things. For example, in 2025, a photo taken by an astronaut showed a glowing light in the sky called a red sprite. These pictures also show how Earth looks at night, with bright city lights shining all over the world. They can even capture beautiful natural lights in the sky, like the aurora borealis.

Special experts called flight operations imagery instructors teach NASA astronauts how to take good photos while they are in space. They practice at a place called the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Taking photos in space is tricky because the sun is very bright and everything moves very fast, so astronauts have to be quick and careful with their cameras.