NASA Astronaut Shares Stunning Images of Aurora Borealis from Space Station
Aurora Borealis captured by astronaut Josh Cassada. (Photo: NASA/J. Cassada).
NASA astronaut Josh Cassada recently took a breathtaking photo of the spectacular light display known as the Aurora Borealis from the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits approximately 400 kilometers above Earth.
“It’s extraordinary,” Cassada remarked in a caption accompanying the aurora photo shared on his personal Twitter account on February 28.
Josh Cassada arrived at the ISS in October 2022 as part of SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission, alongside three other crew members: NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina.
The Crew-5 mission marks NASA’s fifth flight to the ISS using a spacecraft provided by SpaceX, following a partnership that began in May 2020. The scientific research mission of Crew-5 is set to last for 150 days.
The quartet will be able to admire Earth from above for about another week. The Crew-5 mission is scheduled to return to Earth approximately five days after Crew-6 arrives at the orbital laboratory. Crew-6 is expected to launch early in the morning on March 2 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In August 2021, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured an image of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft with an aurora in the background. (Photo: NASA/T. Pesquet).
The Aurora Borealis is one of the most fascinating astronomical phenomena eagerly anticipated by many each year. It occurs due to solar radiation, creating vibrant streaks of light in the sky.
The auroras occurring in the Northern Hemisphere are known as Aurora Borealis and typically occur from late August to mid-April. In the Southern Hemisphere, this phenomenon is referred to as Aurora Australis.
“The aurora is one of many natural phenomena on Earth that are carefully observed from the International Space Station,” stated NASA.
According to Space.com, the aurora is one of the most sought-after and beloved natural phenomena among internet users. Cassada’s post has garnered 3.4 million views and more than 30,000 comments on social media platform Twitter.
