This is the out-of-this-world tribute to Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy from US astronaut Terry Virts.

The simple picture shows what we believe to be Virts’s left hand making the Vulcan salute against the backdrop of Earth as seen from one of the tiny windows on the International Space Station.

The image contains no message or explanation but comes just one day after the death of 83-year-old Nimoy, who played Mr Spock in the long-running science fiction series.

Yesterday, Nasa tweeted it’s own tribute to Nimoy explaining how so many were inspired by Star Trek.

Other astronauts have been tweeting messages about Nimoy’s impact on their life.