Auroras From Space

Auroras from the International Space Station (credit: Thomas Pesquet ESA)

Thomas Pesquet is an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) who was stationed on the International Space Station (ISS). He is also a professional photographer who has been capturing images of spectacular landforms on Earth when he can see a unique angle or lighting for the shot. Pesquet captured one image of circular auroras as curtains of shimmering blue and green swirls forming a hole in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The astronaut commented:

We were treated to the strongest auroras of this entire mission over North America and Canada. Amazing spikes higher than our orbit, and we flew right above the center of the ring, with rapid waves and pulses visible all over.

Thomas is part of the ESA's Mission Alpha on his second tour of duty on the space station and spent a total of nearly a year in space on separate tours on the ISS. It is likely he will long remember the shimmering rings of Northern Lights he viewed from above. WHB

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