Capturing the Cosmos: Astronaut Don Pettit's DIY Star Tracker Reveals Stunning Space Vistas

Capturing the Cosmos: Astronaut Don Pettit's DIY Star Tracker Reveals Stunning Space Vistas

Have you ever dreamt of gazing upon a sky teeming with countless stars, unmarred by light pollution or the blurring effects of Earth's rotation? Well, for astronauts stationed on the International Space Station (ISS), this dream becomes a reality – with a little ingenuity. Enter NASA astronaut Don Pettit, a space photographer extraordinaire. Unlike astrophotographers on Earth who rely on specialized equipment to counter the planet's rotation, Pettit faced a unique challenge: capturing clear images of the stars from a rapidly orbiting spacecraft. The solution? Building his own star tracker – a testament to his creativity and resourcefulness. The Need for Star Trackers: Why Long Exposures Matter Imagine trying to take a clear picture of a speeding car with a regular camera. The resulting image would likely show a blurry mess due to the car's movement. The same principle applies to astrophotography on the ISS. Without a star tracker, the station's 17,500 miles per hour orbit…