What The Heck Is This Near The ISS??

[ArMaP]

I wonder if it could be this, the Bigelow inflatable module; when was the photo in the OP taken?

The photo has the date at the bottom, 2001-04-21.

[The Seeker]

International Space Station on 16 October 2002

I can't find anything during the time frame of the photo in the OP that would point to it being a module waiting to be installed,,,

but to my eyes it does not look like a water droplet on the window, and does not look like a reflection in the window, either...

but that is just my opinion

Seeker

[ArMaP]

but to my eyes it does not look like a water droplet on the window, and does not look like a reflection in the window, either...

To make it clear, what I think is that it's possible that it was a reflection on a water droplet, not one or the other.

[The Seeker]

To make it clear, what I think is that it's possible that it was a reflection on a water droplet, not one or the other.

A reflection on a water droplet; I suppose that is possible, but there is a tremendous amount of detail in that little water droplet

Seeker

[rdunk]

Seemingly has no relationship to a water droplet on the window - IMO! Yes, the detail of whatever it is pretty much voids "water droplet, doesn't it??

[Mikesingh]

I found another version of that photo here, and not only it appears uncropped, as it shows more, it also looks like it wasn't subjected to a contrast enhancement, like the one on the official NASA page.

Increasing the brightness on the above image it shows that there are many things that looks like small water drops (or something similar) on the shuttle's window, so it's possible that it's just a refraction or reflection on a small water drop.



The photo before this one doesn't show any object on that place, but it shows several of those "drops"...


... and the same happens with the photo after the one in the opening post.

Ok, but why no 'droplets' in the first image I posted except just one which I enhanced? Surely there would have been more?

[ArMaP]

Ok, but why no 'droplets' in the first image I posted except just one which I enhanced? Surely there would have been more?

I think that's because the one remaining is much brighter than the others and "survived" the contrast increase applied to the photo.

[ArMaP]

A reflection on a water droplet;

I forgot to add, like I did on my first post, that it could also be a refraction, and, in that case, it could most likely be the refraction of the ISS itself, as it's the brightest object in the scene.

[ArMaP]

This is what happens when I take the photo I found on the archive.org page...



... and change its brightness to -25 and its contrast to 20.



If I now increase the brightness to 90 and the contrast to 80 I get this:



All the other "droplets" disappeared.

[biggles]

I didn't know there was any water in space.

[Mikesingh]

ArMaP! That's the weirdest looking droplet I've ever seen! 

[Irene]

Water droplet, my a**. I'm sick to death of people who naysay the obvious.

When was the last time anyone saw a cube-shaped drop of water?

Please post a picture of any cube-shaped water droplet you have seen.

[Sgt.Rocknroll]

There is too much structure in the object to be a water droplet or water condensation or a splash from a smoothie or a sneeze snot ball....
if it was any of the above, I would expect it to be floating in space....j/s

Now it may be a reflection of something mechanical inside the ISS or it could be something floating outside....
but it definitely has structure....

[The Seeker]

There is too much structure in the object to be a water droplet or water condensation or a splash from a smoothie or a sneeze snot ball....
if it was any of the above, I would expect it to be floating in space....j/s

Now it may be a reflection of something mechanical inside the ISS or it could be something floating outside....
but it definitely has structure....

It has very well defined structure 

[ArMaP]

Apparently nobody has noticed that a water droplet acts like a lens.