There is a lot going on right now on the @Space_Station, but fortunately we are all safe and witnessed a spectacular southern aurora show yesterday thanks to a recent solar event.

This week in the @Space_Station cupola, I was struck by the topography of the Northern Patagonia Icefields. There are so many incredible places to explore both on and off our home planet. Enjoy some Earth Art, happy Friday! Nikon Z9, 400mm lens.

Hurricane Polo is looking massive from the @Space_Station cupola (close-up of the eye in photo 2). Just happened upon this today so will have to plan for more photos on the next pass with an opportunity. Stay safe Mexico! Hoping the Pacific calms down a bit for our splashdown . . .

We found NEMO! Here on the @Space_Station that stands for the newly installed Nikon Experimentation Microscope in Orbit (NEMO), designed and built by @NikonUSA and @BioServeST. This fresh addition to our scientific repertoire is not only a fully automated imaging system that allows for real time analysis, it also provides an incubator that controls environmental conditions (temperature, %CO2) to maintain live cells throughout the the process. This capability could lead to breakthroughs in drug discovery, tissue engineering and life science research. Photo 1: Image of the test sample from the first operation of the microscope. For you biology nerds out there, these are mesenchymal stem cells (GOLGI Bodies are stained green and microtubules are orange/red). Bio Art! Video: Installing the test sample prior to the imaging. Special thanks to @shankini at @BioServeST for the image (and amazing remote guiding for so many of our experiments on the ISS).

Check out today’s task where @astro_anil and I are using an ultrasound to verify the structural integrity of the @Space_Station.

Expedition 75 explored lead-free soldering, blood pressure, and virtual reality while working on a spacesuit Thursday. The crew is also preparing for Saturday's arrival of a cargo spacecraft. More... go.nasa.gov/46zKDWP

Electric Blue. Star and city trails over Europe and Asia, once again capturing the captivating blue lights of squid fishing boats off the coast. Nikon Z9, 14mm lens, 30s exposure from the Dragon window. Thanks again to @astro_anil for stacking the images to achieve the composite view.

LIVE: Tune in as the four members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 join us from orbit to recap their mission aboard the @Space_Station ahead of their upcoming return to Earth. nitter.net/i/broadcasts/1yxBePEkq…

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way galaxy view from the @Space_Station cupola. This 3s exposure series captured two of my favorite cupola views, the particularly dense Milky Way galaxy as seen from the Southern Hemisphere, and the bright, colorful lights of squid fishing boats (here, the bright blue and green lights off the coast of China, Thailand and India). Look at what the light did now!

Desert shapes and textures. Today in between ARED sets, these sand dunes in Saudi Arabia caught my eye. Enjoy some Tuesday Earth Art.

Volume up and get your groove on. A bit of weekend dancing on the @Space_Station to start your week off right. A friend of mine was shocked when she realized that it was possible to dance in microgravity. Seems we can’t keep this from the world for any longer! The power of music transcends Earth and space.

Football is one thing that brings us all together on the space station! On the weekend, it’s good to unwind because it helps us get ready for another busy week.

Star and city trails with aurora. I shot this long exposure (30s) series with a Nikon Z9, 15mm lens from our Dragon window. An array of satellites appears toward the end (above horizon at left of screen), and the Moon rises, evoking our @NASAArtemis ambitions (thicker star trail to right of satellites). Thanks to @astro_anil for his master programming to stack the images allowing the trails grow.

Media are invited to hear from @NASA’s @SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts during a news conference beginning at 2:45 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Sept. 16, from the International Space Station. More... go.nasa.gov/4A9iq6D

The Expedition 75 crew had a light duty day on Friday studying microgravity’s effect on exercise, transferring cargo, and conducting maintenance aboard the station. More... go.nasa.gov/3UHsbZL

We use the ultrasound on-board the @Space_Station frequently for tasks ranging from medical checks to human research, all to better understand what happens to our bodies in the microgravity environment. Yesterday I served as the operator for the Soyuz 75S crew’s (Pyotr, Anna, and Anil) medical checks to assess blood flow in the neck. This has been a hot topic of research as we have discovered that the fluid shift associated with microgravity may make some astronauts susceptible to slow or stagnant flow, with the potential of forming blood clots. These routine checks provide useful data to better understand the issue, and ensure that we keep astronauts healthy and safe while in space.

Curly-haired crew, this one’s for you! 🌀🚀👩🏻‍🦱 Join me in my temporary home on the @Space_Station, where curls are even more free to be what they want to be. Ever wonder how I care for my curls in space?…where my Earthly 3a curls become more like 3c, my hair finds every piece of velcro it can, and I STILL don’t need a brush! There are definitely some major pros to my space hair, like not having to put it up when I work out. 💪 I’m looking forward to an Earth shower when I get back, though. 🚿🌎

Purple Haze. Jimi Hendrix would have rejoiced at the site of the northern lights last night. I’ve never before seen such a brilliant purple wavelength in the aurora - certainly makes me want to kiss the sky. Photo taken with Nikon Z9, 15mm lens.

A whole new world, volume up! That’s me on the tip of the @csa_asc Canadarm in last week’s spacewalk. The ground team dubbed it the Disney Land ride, given the long trajectory of motion from one worksite to the next. This IRL version of space mountain certainly delivered. At times I faced away from the @Space_Station, not able to see any of its parts, nor that of the arm. It felt as if I was simply levitating above the majestic blue gem we call planet Earth.

Madagascar. As a biologist, I’ve always been intrigued by its unique flora and fauna. Now, seeing it from the @Space_Station, I’ll add its colors and textures to the list. Certainly somewhere I’ll need to visit when I’m back on planet Earth. Enjoy the weekend Earth Art!