Categories: ApolloGeminiNASASpace ExplorationSpace FlightSpace ShuttleSpace Station

Best Ever Astronaut ‘Selfies’

Clay Anderson's shadow during a spacewalk he took in July 2007, while he was part of Expedition 15. Credit: NASA

“Talk about a selfie!” wrote former astronaut Clay Anderson on Twitter yesterday (Oct. 1). He posted that comment along with a favorite photo from Expedition 15, when he was standing in restraints on the robotic Canadarm2. Off in the distance, he saw his shadow against the solar array panels of a Soyuz spacecraft.

That got us thinking — what are the best astronaut selfies? Below are some of our favourites (some intentional, some not) from over the years. Any that we have missed? Let us know in the comments!

JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide takes a self-portrait during Expedition 32 in September 2012. “Visible in this outworldly assemblage is the Sun, the Earth, two portions of a robotic arm, an astronaut’s spacesuit, the deep darkness of space, and the unusual camera taking the picture,” NASA wrote. Credit: NASA

Apollo 12’s Pete Conrad is visible in the helmet of crewmate Al Bean during their moon landing in November 1969. Credit: NASA

Expedition 15 crewmember and NASA astronaut Clay Anderson nabbed this self-portrait during a spacewalk in August 2007. Credit: NASA

Self-portrait of Expedition 36/37 European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano during a July 2013 spacewalk. Credit: NASA

Al Shepard raises the American flag during Apollo 14 in February 1971. Below is the shadow of his crewmate, Ed Mitchell. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Mike Fossum grabbed this self-portrait in July 2011, with space shuttle Atlantis visible in the background. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Joe Tanner grabs a helmet shot during a spacewalk on STS-115 in September 2006. Credit: NASA

Gemini 12 astronaut Buzz Aldrin snaps a picture of himself during a spacewalk in November 1966. Credit: NASA

Mike Fossum, a mission specialist on STS-121, took this shot in July 2006. In the visor you can see space shuttle Discovery, part of the International Space Station and fellow crewmate Piers J. Sellers. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski takes a self-portrait during STS-120, which ran from October to November 2007. Credit: NASA

Gemini 10 astronaut Mike Collins in July 1966. Credit: NASA/Arizona State University

Expedition 6’s Don Pettit takes a portrait in January 2003. Also visible in the picture (upper right) is his crewmate, Ken Bowersox. Credit: NASA

A teensy-tiny Neil Armstrong is visible in the helmet of Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 landing in July 1969. Credit: NASA

Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.