DHAKA, Dec 6 — A stunning photograph taken from orbit has gone viral online, revealing Makkah’s Kaabah glowing like a luminous point from 400 kilometres above Earth, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

The image, captured from the International Space Station (ISS), highlights Islam’s holiest site as a radiant centre within the city. 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) astronaut Don Pettit, who has just returned from his ISS mission, posted the photo on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: “Orbital views of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The bright spot in the centre is the Kaabah, Islam’s holiest site, visible even from space”.

Pettit, known for his artistic approach to space imagery during his fourth stint on the station, shot the picture using a high-resolution Nikon camera through the ISS cupola window. — Bernama-UNB