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15 captivating photos of auroras seen from space

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The Northern Lights are a dazzling sight that can be witnessed on Earth, but from space, the light show can be seen from a completely different perspective. Most of us won’t have the opportunity to see the beauty of the Northern Lights directly from space, but astronauts have captured amazing images of the Northern Lights appearing to dance on Earth.

In February, NASA astronaut Jasmine Moghbeli shared a view of the aurora borealis from the International Space Station on X (formerly Twitter), writing: How lucky we are to live in such a spectacular and vibrant place. I’ll definitely miss these views, but I’m looking forward to exploring more of our planet and seeing the beautiful views from above. ” Moghbeli’s photo shows the green Aurora Australis dancing in the southern hemisphere with the ISS in the foreground.

Unless you have booked a flight to the ISS, you will have to content yourself with experiencing the beauty of the Northern Lights from space in photos. Thankfully, the photos are also very beautiful.

[Related: We finally know what sparks the Northern Lights]

The Northern Lights appear to cap Earth’s horizon as the International Space Station orbits 442 miles above the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica. Image: NASA
A greenish aurora forms the background of a 35mm scene of Earth orbiting the aft cargo hold of the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Located within the bay is a moonlit antenna for the SIR-C/X-SAR imaging radar instrument. The crew each witnessed the Antarctic lights (aurora borealis) several times during their 11-day mission. Image: NASA
Earth observations taken at night by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A docked Soyuz spacecraft is also visible in the foreground. Image: NASA
On January 20, 2016, a bright, vibrant aurora illuminated Earth’s northern hemisphere, providing a spectacular view for members of Expedition 46 on the International Space Station. Image: NASA
Northern lights stream through Earth’s atmosphere as the International Space Station orbits 441 miles above the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica. Image: NASA
The crew of STS-123 Endeavor captured the sparkling green beauty of the Northern Lights while docking and boarding the International Space Station. Looking north over the Gulf of Alaska and above the low pressure system (cloud vortex), the aurora borealis brightens the night sky. This image was taken of her on March 21, 2008. Image: NASA
Northern lights stream through Earth’s atmosphere as the International Space Station orbits 441 miles above the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica. Image: NASA
Mission Specialist Astronaut Don L. Lind described the aurora spectacle in the Southern Hemisphere as “spectacular” on a television downlink featuring a discussion of aurora observations during the seven-day flight. The scene was captured by crew commander astronaut Robert F. Obermeyer using a 35mm camera. Lind monitored magnetospheric activity at various points during the flight and determined the spacecraft’s location was midway between Australia and Antarctica. There are clouds on Earth illuminated by the moon. The blue-green band and high red rays are the aurora borealis. The brownish band parallel to Earth’s horizon is the emission of the atmosphere itself and is called airglow. His colleague, Dr. T. Hallinan, of the Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, served as principal investigator on the aurora observation experiment and spent much time with Dr. Lind in preparation for the flight. Image: NASA
Earth observations taken at night by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The folder will list this as “Phenomenal Aurora”. Part of the Space Station Remote Control System (SSRMS) arm is also visible. Image: NASA
Members of the International Space Station’s Expedition 43 captured this contrasting image of Earth’s sunrise, the aurora borealis, and the twinkling cities of northern Europe. Image: NASA
Nighttime Earth observations taken by the 41st Expedition crew. Aurora and Remote Manipulator System (RMS) are shown. Image: NASA
35mm frame from Aurora Australis, also known as Southern Lights. One of the seven crew members took this photo from the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery. One of the objectives of the mission was to measure the spectral and spatial characteristics of auroral emissions. While passing over the sunlit part of the Earth, the crew was able to take numerous photos of various geographical points on the planet. Much of Nightside Pass’ time was spent thoroughly studying and recording aurora displays. Image: NASA
Earth observations taken by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Image: NASA
In this photo from the International Space Station orbiting 424 miles above the sky, city lights (bottom center to far left) from Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, to Helsinki, Finland, are surrounded by the aurora borealis. Image: NASA




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