Comet NEOWISE shines in stunning photos from the International Space Station - Space.com

Astronauts caught a stunning natural light show this weekend from a comet that has been dazzling skywatchers on Earth as well.

That streaker, called Comet NEOWISE or C/2020 F3, first came on the scene at the end of March.

Related: Comet NEOWISE could give skywatchers a dazzling show this month.

One of Behnken's colleagues on board the orbiting laboratory, Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, also photographed the comet, with its tail in stark brightness against the blackness of space seen over the glowing blue atmosphere of Earth.

Vagner commented particularly on Comet NEOWISE's stunning tail, the distinctive feature of comets compared to their rockier counterparts, asteroids.

A comet's tail is formed by the sun's radiation pushing dust out of the fuzzy blob surrounding the comet as its ice warms and turns to gas.

Right now, Comet NEOWISE requires a good pair of binoculars to catch sight of in most locations, and skywatchers aren't sure yet whether the icy hunk will become so stunningly bright that it and its tail will be easily visible to the unaided eye.

But the comet should dazzle throughout the month of July surrounding its closest approach to Earth, which occurs on July 22!