Spinning Cameraโค inโข Space Captures Physics in Action,โค Demonstrating tehโค ‘Dzhanibekovโ Effect’
HOUSTON, TX – A camera spinning freely aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has demonstrated a interesting and counterintuitive physics phenomenon known as the โข”Dzhanibekov Effect,” captured on video by astronaut Donโ Pettit and shared on social media this week.โข The โขvideo, showing a Nikon Z9 camera flippingโ 180 degrees mid-rotation, illustrates โคa theorem that predicts such behavior in rigid bodies with unevenโ mass distribution.
The “tennis racket theorem,”โ as it’s sometimes called, explains that an object with three distinct moments of inertia will unexpectedly flip its axis of rotation, evenโฃ without external forces. Pettit’s demonstration,recorded in microgravity,vividly showcases this principle. Hisโ Nikon Z9, equipped with a Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens and โคSpeedlite flash, spins for several seconds before flipping โand continuing its โrotation on a new axis, repeating the process multiple times.
rotating object were it โwill flip its โคaxis by 180 degrees,โค is demonstrated in microgravity withโค our camera. pic.twitter.com/G45oNvb5Lg
– don Pettit โฃ(@astro_Pettit) November 20, 2025
Remarkably, Pettit also captured footage from the rotating cameraโ itself, providing a unique perspectiveโค on the effect.
A new spin on orbital video. pic.twitter.com/hgdgg25XnL
– Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) November 24, 2024
Pettit โคdocumented the phenomenon during hisโ recentโข ISS mission, whichโข spanned from September 11, 2024, โto April 20, 2025. Beyond the spinning camera, Pettit collaborated with National Geographic photographer Babak Tafreshi on a photo series capturing the same scenes from space and โEarth. He also utilized a custom-built star tracker designed by Ted Kinsman ofโฃ RIT, enabling unique astrophotography opportunities fromโค the ISS.
Image credits: โDon Pettit
