Stunning space photo of Kaaba goes viral

A breathtaking aerial image of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has gone viral on social media, showing Islam’s holiest site, the Kaaba, as a bright point in space, 400 kilometers above the Earth.

The photo was shared by NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who recently returned from the International Space Station (ISS). Pettit wrote with the image: “Mecca from space. The bright point at the center is the Kaaba, visible even from space, Islam’s holiest site.”

Pettit, known for his artistic photography during his fourth ISS mission, captured the image using a high-resolution Nikon camera through the ISS cupola window.

The photo clearly shows the sprawling city of Mecca, with the grandeur of Masjid al-Haram prominently visible.

The Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure draped in a black cloth (Kiswah), appears illuminated even from space due to continuous lighting from sunlight and artificial sources, making it stand out among the mountains and pilgrim tents.

The view from the ISS is especially striking at night, as city lights and light pollution turn Mecca into a bright spot visible to the station’s sensitive cameras.

The Kaaba’s 24/7 illumination guides millions of pilgrims during daily prayers and Hajj.

Traveling at 28,000 km/h, the ISS allowed Pettit to capture this scene clearly during a single orbit.

Using long-exposure techniques, he balanced the ISS’s rapid movement and highlighted the city’s terrain and details, producing a spectacular work of art from space.