A stunning timelapse video captured from space has given Earthlings a new perspective on the aurora australis, or southern lights. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, a member of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, released the footage showing the shimmering lights as seen from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The aurora appears near the poles because Earth's magnetic field channels charged particles from the sun toward those regions. When these particles collide with the atmosphere, they create curtains of colour that dance across the sky.
"As opposed to the previous aurora I've seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show," Meir wrote on social media. "I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon."
SpaceX Dragon Provides Unique View
The timelapse was captured from the Dragon spacecraft, which offers a unique vantage point for observing Earth's atmospheric phenomena. The footage shows the aurora australis in vibrant greens and reds as it swirls below the spacecraft.
Meir's post has garnered significant attention, with many users expressing wonder at the beauty of the natural light display. The video serves as a reminder of the breathtaking views that astronauts experience during their missions.
Science Behind the Auroras
Auroras occur when charged particles from the sun, carried by the solar wind, interact with Earth's magnetic field. These particles are directed toward the polar regions, where they collide with gases in the atmosphere, producing light. The different colours result from the type of gas involved: oxygen produces green and red, while nitrogen yields blue and purple.
The aurora australis is the southern counterpart of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. Both phenomena are most commonly observed near the magnetic poles.
Meir's capture adds to a growing collection of space-based observations of auroras, which help scientists study the interactions between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere.
