American astronaut Shane Kimbrough on Thursday, August 12, 2021, shared a set of two amazing aerial images of Dubai captured from the International Space Station (ISS). Despite the distance (the ISS orbits at approximately 400km above the Earth), the beautiful images show in stunning detail the topography of Dubai’s coastline, islands and city landmarks.

“Hello Dubai! I spy the Emirates Golf Club, a 36-hole golf course that was the first golf course in the region and was built in 1988. The Dubai Airport is in the second photo and is the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic,” Kimbrough, a retired US Army Colonel, said in his identical social media posts on Twitter and Instagram.

This isn’t the first time Dubai has been photographed from space. Palm Jumeirah islands are among the most popular landmarks photographed from space. The UAE’s own astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansouri captured some stunning shots of the country while he was on his maiden space visit last year. Nasa scientists, including Kimbrough, regularly share images of Dubai, the wider UAE and other Gulf nations clicked from space.

The UAE’s second astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi, too has shared space-clicked images of UAE landmarks, including a picture of his village.

Everything started from Umm Ghaffa, my village. It was where I first observed the skies & stars, created memories that will forever be imprinted in my mind. It was also the place where the late Sheikh Zayed, envisioned the transformation of the UAE into an oasis of life. pic.twitter.com/jRsxo3uzlv

— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) April 22, 2020

Nasa says that the city of Dubai, the largest metropolitan area within the emirate of Dubai, is a favourite subject of astronaut photography due to its unique artificial archipelagos

Nasa says that the city of Dubai, the largest metropolitan area within the emirate of Dubai, is a favourite subject of astronaut photography due to its unique artificial archipelagos situated directly offshore in the Arabian Gulf. The manmade structures were built such that their full design is only visible from the vantage point of an aircraft – or an orbiting spacecraft.

“The city presents an eye-catching appearance at night that vividly displays the urban development pattern,” it said in a caption published along with a night shot of the emirate. “In this detailed image, taken with a long focal length lens and digital camera optimised for fast response and high light sensitivity, several interesting patterns can be observed,” it said.

Dubai has indeed been a favourite muse of astronaut photographers, with the manmade islands and buildings lending themselves to offer some unique shots. Its striking city lights contrasting with its seaside location also offer a night brilliance unmatched by any other city.

“The highways and major streets are sharply defined by yellow-orange lighting, while the commercial and residential areas are resolved into a speckle pattern of individual white, blue and yellow-orange lights. Several large and brilliantly lit areas are large hotel and mall complexes, including the Burj Khalifa Tower, the world’s tallest building at 2,717 feet, or 828 meters.”

Kimbrough, a veteran of three spaceflights, has shared Dubai shots on previous occasions, too, while the UAE’s indigenous satellite KhalifaSat has shot and shared numerous images of UAE landmarks.

Kimbrough is currently heading an international crew of seven people who live and work while travelling at a speed of five miles per second, orbiting Earth about every 90 minutes. The living and working space in the station is larger than a six-bedroom house (and has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window).