Bright green lights moved beneath the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as NASA astronaut Jessica Meir filmed the aurora australis from orbit. This special view shows the Southern Lights from above, which most people only see on land in the far south. Many people know about the northern lights through photos or social media, but this footage shows the colours and movement in real time from space.

A strong solar storm earlier this week created the intense display. These storms send charged particles towards Earth. When these particles meet gases in the atmosphere, the sky glows with colourful lights. This usually happens near the North and South Poles, where the effects are easiest to see.

Viewing the aurora from space helps scientists study its shape, height, and spread without weather blocking the view. Studying solar storms is important for protecting things like satellites and power systems on Earth. NASA and SpaceX work together to collect this information during their Crew-12 mission.