Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) Capture Stunning Images of Ice Crystals Resembling a Crescent Moon with Earth Below.
Astronaut Sergey Korsakov captured an impressive image of ice crystals on the window of the International Space Station (ISS), as reported by IFL Science on June 11. This could potentially be the first photograph of ice crystals forming on the window of a spacecraft. It resembles a frosty crescent moon, prominently displayed above the curve of Earth.
Crescent ice crystals on the window of the International Space Station (ISS) with the curve of Earth below. (Photo: Sergey Korsakov/Roscosmos)
The image was shared by Korsakov on Twitter and Telegram at the end of May. The astronaut noted that the ice crystals lasted for about 24 hours, and even after they melted, the condensation pattern remained. However, experts still do not fully understand the process of ice crystal formation.
The windows on the ISS consist of multiple glass panels, with the inner panels separated by air and the outer panels separated by a vacuum. Ice crystals can be found between the window panes or inside the spacecraft. Some believe they form due to astronauts breathing onto the window. However, the shape of the ice crystals (almost perfectly circular) and the temperature of the ISS make this unlikely.
“It seems that most of the ice is concentrated at the edge of the circle. This suggests a balanced formation mechanism from all sides, reaching the threshold for ice formation at the edge of the circle, after which all the water vapor depletes before it spreads to the center. The ice extending toward the center consists of the ice crystals using themselves to spread – they cannot extend beyond the circle because that area is too warm,” explained Dr. James Lea, an ice researcher at the University of Liverpool.
The circular shape may result from temperature variations in the glass. However, this depends on the characteristics of the window. “I believe the location of the ice reflects the thermal changes of the window. The contact points between the window and the surrounding ISS shell may be warmer than the center of the window panel,” said Dr. Tom Whale, an expert at the University of Warwick.
“If there is some water vapor in the gap between the window panels, or relatively humid air leaking from the ISS into the gap, ice may form at a sufficiently cold point on the window and then gradually spread inward. The circular shape of the ice may reflect that the window is circular,” he added.
While Korsakov’s photograph of the ice crystals remains shrouded in mystery, the formation of ice crystals in microgravity environments is an area of ongoing research. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has conducted experiments on ice crystal formation in orbit and found that highly symmetrical ice crystals can form in space.
