One of the most mesmerising sights in the night sky, the aurora borealis, or more commonly known as northern lights, continues to captivate people across the world. Often elusive, the shimmering green and purple lights are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. Thanks to a NASA astronaut Anne McClain, currently aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, we’re getting a rare and breathtaking view of the aurora — not from Earth, but from space.
This stunning footage of the northern lights was followed by a major geomagnetic storm triggered by a solar flare emitted from the Sun last Friday. While the flare prompted alerts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it caused minimal disruption on Earth.
McClain shared the video on X, writing: “I love how this one illuminated our Dragon, and I also love the dance of satellites on the left in the latter part of the video. It’s interesting how the aurora creeps along the top of the atmosphere as it comes up over the horizon. I have added traveling to see auroras from Earth to my bucket list.”
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Auroras from space always draw crewmembers to the Cupola. I love how this one illuminated our Dragon, and I also love the dance of satellites on the left in the latter part of the video. It’s interesting how the aurora creeps along the top of the atmosphere as it comes up over… pic.twitter.com/4FGu5n0LpN
— COL Anne McClain (@AstroAnnimal) June 2, 2025
McClain’s video on X has gone viral, garnering more than 360,000 views and hundreds of likes.
Auroras, commonly seen in the Northern Hemisphere, are natural light displays that occur when charged solar particles collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The result is a shimmering curtain of green, red, or violet light, often seen in high-latitude regions like Alaska, Norway, or northern Scotland.
NOAA forecasts suggest auroras will likely remain active over the next few nights due to “minor” geomagnetic storms, with the best chances of visibility over parts of North America and northern Scotland.
