NASA Astronaut Unexpectedly Captures a Stunning Video of the Northern Lights from Space
Nichole Ayers unexpectedly captured a video of the northern lights from space
The NASA astronaut shared her footage on X, explaining that she "wasn't expecting it" when she filmed and got a "nice surprise" as a result
The clip featured a beautiful pan of the phenomenon that dazzled in shares of blues, greens, oranges and reds around Earth in spaceNichole Ayers was among the stars.
The NASA astronaut shared a stunning shot of the northern lights from space in a video posted on X on Friday, May 23, explaining how she captured the dazzling display of the aurora borealis unexpectedly.
"The Aurora showed up this last weekend when I wasn't expecting it! I was trying to capture the massive storms that went through both North and South America and got a nice surprise. The Aurora appeared right at sunset over the Northern US and Canada," Ayers wrote on X.
Related: Are Solar Storms Dangerous to Humans on Earth? About the Effects, Including Possible Communication Disruption
"I'm also fascinated by just how many satellites are orbiting the Earth at any given moment. There's so much to share with you all!" she concluded her caption alongside the video.
Ayer's clip featured a mesmerizing pan of Earth from space, twinkling with lights and colors that perfectly contrasted the dark surroundings in the galaxy. The auroras radiated shades of greens, blues and purples — and towards the end of the video, hues of reds and oranges appeared.
According to her NASA bio, Ayers, a Colorado native, was selected by the space organization to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class before reporting for duty in January 2022.
Ayers has flown missions both nationally and globally as an instructor in both the T-38A and F-22 Raptor since she graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in 2011 and a master's degree from Rice University in Houston.
On March 14, Ayers embarked on her first spaceflight. She launched as pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission to conduct research, technology demonstrations and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory, per her bio.
Related: How to Watch the Northern Lights Display from These Select States Tonight
The northern lights have been visible from various parts of the United States in recent months. They form when solar activity, like solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CME), causes magnetic storms.
When the storms occur, they trigger interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the sun. Then, a display of beautiful and often vibrant colors results and lights up the night sky.
The intensity and location of these storms impact the colors produced. The planetary K index or Kp, which ranges from 0 to 9, measures geomagnetic activity.
Related: Northern Lights Illuminate Skies in Rare Showings Across the Country — See the Breathtaking Photos!
While the northern lights have been visible from several states across the United States in recent months, October 2024 had a memorable display due to the rare auroras' appearance in states that don't typically see them.
The northern lights illuminated night skies across the eastern and southern parts of the country. Stunning purple, pink and green skies were seen in New Jersey, New York, Maine, Connecticut, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
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