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Astronauts have taken 1,000 photos of NJ from space. Check out the stunning images
After New Jersey-born billionaire Jared Isaacman performed the first spacewalk by a private citizen early Thursday, and with future SpaceX missions capable of carrying astronauts between Earth, the moon and Mars, a question arises: What do astronauts see from space?
Isaacman, who was raised in Far Hills and left high school to launch the payment processing firm Shift4 Payments, said as he emerged from the SpaceX Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon and soaked in the stunning view: “It’s gorgeous. Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”
The mission makes the once-unthinkable a future possibility: that everyday citizens in the years ahead could journey to the moon or even Mars.
But for now, almost all Jerseyans see our views from the ground, whether it’s a rural farm or a bustling city street. They’re gorgeous up close, but astronauts on the International Space Station have been snapping photos of Earth for years and have compiled nearly 1,000 images of the beautiful Garden State. We have gathered and identified some of the photos here, with the entire collection accessible online.
What is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station, launched in lower Earth orbit in 1998, has been continuously occupied since 2000, said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In 24 hours, the space station orbits Earth 16 times.
The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth has been collecting and categorizing photos taken by astronauts. They see Earth from an altitude of about 250 miles as the station travels at a speed of 17,500 mph around our planet.
The station is larger than a six-bedroom house, with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree-view bay window. Astronauts work out at least two hours a day to mitigate the loss of muscle and bone mass in the body due to microgravity.
New space record: 19 people in orbit
With the arrival of a U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts at the International Space Station on Wednesday, there are now 19 people orbiting the Earth — a new world record.
The space station now has 12 people onboard, and in addition to the four aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew, three “taikonauts” are aboard the Chinese Tiangong Space Station. The website Who Is in Space, created by engineer Destin Sandlin, shows photos of the humans who are in space and the amount of time they have been there.
The previous record for the most humans in space was set in May 2023, when for a brief period there were 17 people in total aboard the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong Space Station.
As for the Polaris Dawn crew members, they are still in space checking off some remaining mission goals and experiments. The Dragon spacecraft may make its return to Earth this weekend.
Can I view the International Space Station from NJ?
Astronauts may be looking at us, but we can spot a glimpse of them, too. Here’s how to find the space station, which is roughly 356 feet end-to-end — one yard shy of the full length of an American football field, including the end zones.
The International Space Station is visible to us only at dawn or dusk, since it reflects the light of the sun, just as the moon does. It looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it does not have flashing lights or change direction. It will appear to move considerably faster than an airplane, which flies about 600 mph, says NASA’s International Space Station website, Spot the Station.
Flyovers reaching a maximum height of at least 40 degrees — visible above most landscapes and buildings — provide the best chance, or “optimal,” view.
When is the space station visible in New Jersey?
Sightings of the International Space Station can vary from once a month to several times a week, since it has to be dark in the location where you are and the space station has to be overhead at the same time. You do not need binoculars or a telescope to see it.
New Jersey residents can find out when they can see the station by using the Spot the Station website (spotthestation.nasa.gov), which shows upcoming opportunities as the station orbits Earth. Remember, “max height” should be at least 40 degrees on the maps for best visibility. The max height represents the height of the station from the horizon in the night sky, with the horizon at 0 degrees and directly overhead at 90 degrees. For instance, if you hold your fist at arm’s length and place your fist on the horizon, the top of your fist is about 10 degrees.
The chart shows several dates through Sept. 24 when the International Space Station is expected to fly over North Jersey, but none offer an optimal view, with at least 40 degrees maximum height. Keep an eye on the chart for any future sightings or get notified when the station is within optimal view near you by signing up to receive either email or text alerts.
Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.
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