Night Lights of Armenia and Türkiye | International Space Station

Night Lights of Armenia and Türkiye | International Space Station

Yerevan, Armenia, and its modernized bright LED city lights contrast with the older amber high-pressure sodium lights of Iğdır, Türkiye (left), in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above Earth at approximately 11:12 p.m. local time. 

Villages light up the coastline in this nighttime image of Lake Sevan, one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world, sitting at 1,900 meters above sea level in Armenia. Lake Sevan is protected as Sevan National Park for its ecological importance and for providing landlocked Armenia with most of its fish. The International Space Station was orbiting 262 miles above Earth at 11:13 p.m. local time when this photograph was taken.

These images were captured by Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui.

Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Yerevan is the capital, largest city and financial center. Lake Sevan is the largest body of water in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above sea level. The total surface area of its basin is about 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi), making up one-sixth of Armenia's territory.

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria to the west. Iğdır is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Iğdır Province and Iğdır District.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/K. Yui
Date: Jan. 3, 2026

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