NASA astronaut Jessica Meir recorded an extraordinary view of the Southern Lights from orbit, revealing the beauty of Earth’s atmosphere after a powerful solar storm.

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• Jessica Meir captured a remarkable time-lapse of the Southern Lights while traveling aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft orbiting high above Earth’s atmosphere.
• The dazzling auroral display formed after charged particles released by the Sun interacted with Earth’s magnetic field during a recent solar storm.
• From the spacecraft, the glowing green lights appeared to flow directly beneath the crew, offering an exceptionally rare perspective unavailable from the ground.
• The Southern Lights, also called Aurora Australis, are generally visible near Antarctica and remote southern oceans, making observations from Earth relatively uncommon.
• Auroras develop when energetic solar particles collide with atmospheric gases, creating colorful light emissions that shift and move across polar skies.
• Space-based observations provide scientists and the public with valuable insights into geomagnetic activity, solar weather, and Earth’s upper atmospheric conditions.
• The footage attracted significant attention online by presenting an unobstructed orbital view of one of nature’s most striking astronomical phenomena.
• Such visual records also help raise awareness about the influence of solar storms on Earth while inspiring greater interest in astronomy and space exploration.