Aurora From Space
Two weeks ago, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a warning about a massive geomagnetic solar storm that began on August 11.
Within hours, a breathtaking aurora lit up the sky, captured by two photographers—one a pilot on a passenger plane and the other an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
A series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) produced a spectacular light show lasting over 48 hours, visible across North America and possibly reaching as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, orbiting on the ISS, shared incredible images of the aurora online, gaining thousands of fans.
Meanwhile, Scott Bateman, a pilot flying an Airbus A350-1000 on a long-haul international flight, had a front-row view of the spectacle from within Earth’s atmosphere. Bateman described the scenes as he flew across the globe: “It was spectacular! It started as we passed Chicago at 39,000 feet and lasted until dawn over Ireland, when it turned purple. I have never seen the aurora borealis so vivid with reds and purples.”
Bateman captured these stunning images using his iPhone 15 without any editing or filters, offering an unaltered view of the aurora from his cockpit.
Auroras result from disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar flares and winds. These dynamic light displays can appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or flickering patterns across the sky.
