- Mr. Dominick has been on board the ISS since March 3, 2024.
- He tweeted a stunning aerial view of the Northern Lights.
Witnessing the Northern Lights is something that is on many people’s bucket lists.
Now, one lucky astronaut has exceeded expectations by seeing them from Earth and instead posted an incredible video of the aurora from space.
Matthew DominickA NASA astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), tweeted his aerial view of the Northern Lights.
The stunning images have attracted enormous attention and fans have been left dazzled by the unique sight of the aurora.
Even NASA itself was impressed, responding on its NASA Earth X account: “These videos never get old.”
Witnessing the Northern Lights is something that is on many people’s bucket lists. Now, one lucky astronaut has gone beyond the idea of seeing them from Earth and instead posted an incredible video of the aurora from space.
Mr. Dominick launched to the ISS on March 3, 2024 as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission.
He serves as a flight engineer aboard the orbiting laboratory and was expected to spend about six months on the ISS, although his return to Earth could be delayed due to problems with the Boeing Starliner.
While he spends most of his time on the ISS conducting scientific experiments, Mr. Dominick also regularly takes photographs and films from his unique vantage point.
‘Timelapse of the moonset in red and green aurora rays, followed by a sunrise that illuminates the Soyuz with a blue light,’ he wrote in the caption of his latest video.
‘The auroras have been amazing these last few days.’
Her video has already been viewed nearly 800,000 times and several fans have responded expressing their amazement.
“Man this is just amazing… what a sight,” one user wrote.
Another added: ‘You’re becoming the ultimate space photographer, great job again!’
While he spends most of his time on the ISS conducting scientific experiments, Mr. Dominick also regularly takes photographs and films footage from his unique vantage point.
Her video has already been viewed nearly 800,000 times, with several fans responding to it expressing their amazement.
And one joked: “What a strange world. I’m sure it would be fun to visit.”
Auroras are caused by disturbances in the Earth’s “magnetosphere” (its system of magnetic fields) due to the Sun’s powerful activity.
High-energy particles travel from the Sun toward us at hundreds of miles per second before bombarding our magnetosphere.
At this point, some of the energy and small particles can travel along the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into our planet’s atmosphere.
There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere, giving rise to beautiful light shows in the sky, known as auroras.
Oxygen emits green and red light, while nitrogen emits blue and violet light.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT CAUSES THEIR IMPRESSIVE NATURAL SHOWS?
The Northern Lights and Southern Lights are natural light displays that occur in our atmosphere and are also known as “auroras.”
There are two types of aurora: the aurora borealis, meaning “northern dawn,” and the aurora australis, meaning “southern dawn.”
The screens light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
There are two types of auroras: the aurora borealis (file photo), meaning “northern dawn,” and the aurora australis, meaning “southern dawn.” Auroras light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
Typically the particles, sometimes called a solar storm, are deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field.
But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.
These collisions emit light. Auroras come in many colors, although pale green and pink are common.