--- title: "Space Station Captures Incredible Beautiful Auroras From Above" description: "NASA has shared an absolutely gorgeous time lapse filmed from on board the International Space Station showing off a stunning aurora." date: "2022-09-06" modified: "2022-09-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-captures-auroras-above" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "aurora borealis" - "international space station" - "NASA" - "northern lights" - "the digest" --- # Space Station Captures Incredible Beautiful Auroras From Above ![NASA has shared an absolutely gorgeous time lapse filmed from on board the International Space Station showing off a stunning aurora.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Aurora Vision NASA has shared an absolutely gorgeous time lapse filmed from the International Space Station and showing off a rare display: an aurora, following a massive solar storm hitting the Earth's atmosphere, as viewed from above instead of below. The video shows the station pass over the Indian Ocean, with the Moon rising in the background as a bright beacon of light hiding behind the space station's Canadarm2 robotic arm — and while it's not the first time we've seen such a display, it's a sight that never gets old. https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1566583137320124417 ## Solar Storms As the Sun hits the most turbulent period of its 11-year cycle, our planet is bombarded by highly charged particles that interact with our planet's magnetosphere, releasing energy in the form of light. Some of these auroras occur at roughly the same altitude as the ISS, meaning that astronauts can sometimes find themselves flying right through the light show itself. "Thankful for the recent solar activity resulting in these wonderful sights!" NASA astronaut Bob Hines [tweeted]() from on board the space station last month, showing off stunning images of the phenomenon. ## Sky Lights So why green in particular? "When solar particles collide with atmospheric oxygen they give off rich red and green hues as seen in this image," NASA explained in a [recent Instagram post](). "Conversely, if these same particles collide with nitrogen in our atmosphere they illuminate the sky in glows of blue and purple." It's a captivating sight that only a handful of individuals stationed on board the ISS have been able to witness first hand — but at least we've got NASA to rely on for some stunning footage. **More on auroras:** *[Watch the Milky Way Instantly Pop Into View During Lunar Eclipse]()* ## 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]()