NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli posted photos of an aurora australis that are literally out of this world. She snapped them from aboard the International Space Station and showed our beautiful planet in all its glory.
Moghbeli took the photo on February 15, 2024. In the foreground, you can see the robotic Canadarm2 and a space station module. Speaking with Space.com during a science conference, Moghbeli told Space.com that auroras from the ISS are “spectacular.” She added that it was one of her space mission highlights to witness “some green, some red that just swept across the surface of the Earth.”
Sometimes I can’t believe this is our planet, OUR home. How lucky we are to live somewhere so spectacular and alive. I will definitely miss these views, but I look forward to exploring more of our planet and the beautiful views from the ground. #AuroraAustralis pic.twitter.com/2lbIUJFfKr— Jasmin Moghbeli (@AstroJaws) February 15, 2024
“Sometimes I can’t believe this is our planet, OUR home. How lucky we are to live somewhere so spectacular and alive,” Moghbeli wrote on X. I will definitely miss these views, but I look forward to exploring more of our planet and the beautiful views from the ground.
Credits: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli
Credits: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli
About aurora australis
Aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, are breathtaking displays of green, red, and sometimes violet light. Just like the northern lights, they are a natural phenomenon caused by the interaction between the sun and Earth.
But the southern lights are much more than just a pretty sight. They’re actually a form of “space weather” that happens high up in the Earth’s atmosphere. By studying the southern lights, scientists can learn more about what’s happening at the edge of space.
While most of us might only see them in pictures, the lucky few who work at Australian research stations in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic get to witness them regularly during the long winter nights. And, apparently, the ISS astronauts get to enjoy this mesmerizing view from up there aboard the space station.
[via Space.com]
