A remarkable photography collaboration has captured the same celestial events from two dramatically different perspectives: space and Earth. Astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and National Geographic photographer Babak Tafreshi on Earth's surface have been working together on an ambitious project called "From Above & Below," which showcases how the same locations and phenomena can appear completely different depending on the viewpoint.

The project gained significant momentum in October 2024 when both photographers simultaneously captured the aurora borealis during a strong geomagnetic storm. While Pettit rushed to one of the ISS's windows 250 miles above Earth to document the vibrant green and pink auroras, Tafreshi was able to photograph the same swirling phenomenon from his neighborhood in Salem, Massachusetts. This synchronous capture exemplifies the project's core mission of contrasting perspectives from space and ground level.

Another spectacular simultaneous capture occurred when Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) made its once-every-80,000-year appearance in September 2024. Pettit photographed the comet from the ISS while it was approximately 44 million miles from Earth, while Tafreshi traveled to Puerto Rico to capture the same cosmic visitor from the ground. These comet and aurora photographs represent what Tafreshi calls the "most synchronous" images in their collaboration.

The project, which has been in development since 2012, highlights how dramatically different the same locations can appear from space versus Earth's surface. "Sometimes you look at a landscape on Earth from space, it looks flat and boring," Tafreshi explains. "And then from the ground it's a stunning scenery of otherworldly landmarks." He cites Madagascar as a prime example, noting that from space it appears "completely dark and flat with no artificial light," while from ground level it features "one of the most striking landscapes anywhere on the planet" with its famous baobab trees against swirling star trails.

The Manicouagan Reservoir in Canada, known as the "Eye of Quebec," provides another striking contrast. This circular formation, created by an asteroid impact 214 million years ago, displays distinct eye-like markings when photographed by Pettit from space. However, from Tafreshi's ground-level perspective, it appears as a peaceful lake with the overall eye structure completely hidden from view.

Coordinating these captures requires precise timing and extensive planning. Tafreshi and Pettit maintained constant communication via WhatsApp and email during Pettit's 220-day mission aboard the ISS. However, predicting the space station's exact location proved challenging. "You can make long-term forecasts about the space station's orbit, but because there are adjustments by boosters and orbital adjustments, it changes after a few days," Tafreshi explains. This unpredictability often required last-minute travel arrangements to position himself in locations that Pettit would be flying over.

The sheer volume of images involved in the project has been staggering. When Tafreshi began the project in 2012, space expeditions typically produced 10,000 to 20,000 images. However, Pettit's latest expedition generated roughly one million photographs, largely due to advanced cameras like the Nikon Z9 being used in burst mode. "I never imagined that he's going to create one million images, and I'm responsible for going through his one million images," Tafreshi notes, explaining the painstaking process of finding matching pairs between space and Earth photographs.

The collaboration involves extensive cross-referencing of photographs and ISS flight paths to identify when both photographers captured images of the same area. Given that the ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes, experiencing multiple sunrises and sunsets daily, the timing coordination becomes even more complex. While some photographs are captured simultaneously, others may be days apart but still showcase the same geographical features or phenomena.

Twenty-two photographs from the "From Above & Below" project are featured in the October 2024 edition of National Geographic magazine, though this represents only a small fraction of their collaborative work. The photographers hope to expand their project into a comprehensive book that would showcase more of their paired perspectives.

Beyond its artistic merit, the project carries a deeper environmental and philosophical message. "Now we are in this hype that we need to go to Mars, we need to go to the Moon, we need to explore every other planet, and we forget about our own planet," Tafreshi reflects. He hopes the project reminds viewers that "life is unique on Earth" and that despite the vastness of the universe, "we have not found any other planet with life, and we have not found any other planet that is so hospitable."

The collaboration ultimately emphasizes Earth's uniqueness in the cosmos. "By looking at space, you understand the value of life on Earth, and you understand the purpose of human beings on this planet," Tafreshi concludes. "You look above to space and you look back to Earth and you've found how important this little pale blue dot is." The project serves as both a celebration of photographic artistry and a reminder of Earth's precious position in the universe.