NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick has recently shared a captivating timelapse video showcasing the beauty of red and green auroras as seen from the window of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour, currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS).
The brief but stunning 11-second timelapse reveals a dazzling display of charged particles glowing in shades of magenta and turquoise as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. Dominick meticulously compiled the video by stitching together “a couple thousand images” to capture the perfect settings and framing across several orbital nights.
The video, while taken from the window of one Crew Dragon spacecraft, also features a view of another SpaceX capsule, Dragon Freedom, docked at a separate ISS port below. Dominick, who arrived at the ISS in March as part of SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission, has been using his time aboard the station to capture visuals of the world outside.
His return journey, initially scheduled for October 13, has been delayed due to Hurricane Milton, which is set to make landfall in Florida. Despite the disruption, Dominick’s passion for photography has gifted space enthusiasts with a unique perspective of Earth’s natural wonders.
Auroras occur when electrically charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, producing the vibrant red and green hues seen in the timelapse. Collisions with oxygen produce these colors, while interactions with atmospheric nitrogen result in blue and purple hues. As the Sun enters the most active phase of its 11-year solar cycle, scientists anticipate stronger solar storms, which can release vast amounts of plasma toward Earth.
Just last week, a powerful X-level solar flare caused radio blackouts on Earth, further showcasing the immense power of the Sun’s activity.