Overview
- NASA astronaut Jessica Meir posted a timelapse filmed aboard a crewed SpaceX Dragon that shows the aurora australis glowing beneath the spacecraft.
- Meir described the sight as “ethereal and emotionally evocative” and said this display moved differently from other auroras she has seen in space.
- Scientists link the show to recent solar activity because bursts of charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere to create auroras.
- The Southern Lights are as common as the Northern Lights but are less often seen on land because they usually occur over remote Antarctica.
- The footage has sparked wide social-media interest and could boost public awareness of space weather and how solar storms affect Earth’s upper atmosphere.