--- title: "Astronaut Snaps Mind-Melting Photo of Northern Lights Way Down Below" description: "NASA astronaut Josh Cassada took an \"absolutely unreal\" photo of the northern lights from on board the International Space Station." date: "2023-03-01" modified: "2023-03-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronaut-mind-melting-photo-northern-lights" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "auroras" - "international space station" - "northern lights" - "the digest" --- # Astronaut Snaps Mind-Melting Photo of Northern Lights Way Down Below ![NASA astronaut Josh Cassada took an "absolutely unreal" photo of the northern lights from on board the International Space Station.]() *\Image: Josh Cassada\* ## Unreal Engine It's a rare natural phenomenon that only a few us of have been lucky enough to witness in person. During intense periods of solar winds, charged particles from the Sun interact with our atmosphere, resulting in a fireworks show of dazzling colors in the sky, a spectacle referred to as the Northern Lights or the aurora borealis. The sight is even more impressive when viewed from hundreds of miles above the surface, as evidenced in a glorious new image taken by NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, who recently witnessed an aurora from the International Space Station. "Absolutely unreal," he [wrote]() in the photo's caption. The image shows the curvature of the Earth at night, with a greenish-turquoise haze covering the horizon, an out-of-this-world experience that only the luckiest space travelers have witnessed. https://twitter.com/astro_josh/status/1630603233059020803 ## Solar Storm The northern lights are particularly visible these days as the Sun nears the apex of its 11-year cycle. Solar winds, triggered by coronal mass ejections, have already resulted in large amounts of plasma slamming into our planet's atmosphere. A [massive coronal mass ejection]() last week also contributed to the powerful geomagnetic storm. In the [northern UK, in particular](), auroras have amazed skywatchers. Stunning photos shared on social media show a [light spectacle over Stonehenge](). One commercial airline pilot went as far as to [make a 360-degree turn]() to allow passengers on both sides of the aircraft to view a dazzling show off just off coast the Faroe Islands. There will be plenty of opportunities in the coming years to view the northern lights as the Sun approaches the [peak of its cycle around 2025](). And we can't wait for the next batch of photos. **READ MORE:** ['Absolutely unreal:' NASA astronaut snaps amazing photo of auroras from space station]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on northern lights:** *[Astronomers Spot Stunning Auroras On Jupiter's Moons]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()