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Video of Northern Lights from Space Shared by NASA Astronaut: Watch


NEED TO KNOW

  • A NASA astronaut shared a stunning video of the northern lights from space
  • Col. Anne McClain took the footage from the International Space Station
  • The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, were caused by a small geomagnetic storm

A NASA astronaut shared a rare and stunning video of the northern lights from space.

The footage was shared by Col. Anne McClain, who is onboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station (ISS). She specifically shared her view of the lights — also called the aurora borealis — from the Cupola, which is the dome-shaped panoramic control tower on the station.

“Auroras from space always draw crewmembers to the Cupola. I love how this one illuminated our Dragon, and I also love the dance of satellites on the left in the latter part of the video,” she captioned the video on X. 

“It’s interesting how the aurora creeps along the top of the atmosphere as it comes up over the horizon,” she added. “I have added traveling to see auroras from Earth to my bucket list!”

Photo of the northern lights as seen in British Columbia, Canada, on May 10, 2024.

Getty


In an X post also shared on June 2, NASA astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers, who is also on the ISS, explained that the “sun has been pretty active over the last week, which means some phenomenal auroras!”

A forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that geomagnetic storms created an increased chance of seeing the Northern Lights this past week, per the BBC.

According to NOAA, a geomagnetic storm is a disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere — a.k.a. the region around the planet dominated by a magnetic field. The disturbances occur when there is an exchange of energy between solar wind and the “space environment” surrounding Earth.  

NOAA states that while these storms can create beautiful auroras, large storms can disrupt navigation systems and even cause harmful currents to Earth’s power grids — though the most recent storms have been too mild to do so.

And as to why the northern lights emit different colors?

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It’s dependent on the interaction of space particles with specific gases in the atmosphere, per NASA. Space particles that interact with oxygen produce green or red light, while nitrogen gas produces blue or pink hues.

The light emitted from the gases can also appear to blend and mix, creating purple and white light.

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