Very rare 'aurora storm' spotted from the International Space Station

Very rare 'aurora storm' was spotted from the International Space Station
© Getty/DrPixel
Very rare 'aurora storm' was spotted from the International Space Station
More under this ad

One astronaut captured pictures of a truly dazzling sight consisting of shimmering green auroras on the surface of Earth from space. Pictures ahead!

Bob Hines, a NASA astronaut, was fortunate enough to capture the sight of a lifetime after spotting green shimmering auroras (similar to the Northern Lights)visible in space as a result of a moderatesolar storm.

Discover our latest podcast

Sun-generated storm

Sharing on his personal Twitter account the magnificent pictures he captured on Wednesday 17 August, he exclaimed:

Absolutely SPECTACULAR aurora today!!! Thankful for the recent solar activity resulting in these wonderful sights!
More under this ad
More under this ad

According to SpaceWeather.com, the storm that hit the atmosphere of the Earth, took place after the sun was able to toss enough charged particles directly to our planet to produce what is known as a G2-class storm. European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti confirmed that she as well got a glimpse of the spectacular light show earlier this week. In a post on Twitter, she said:

In those bright nights around the full Moon you can see features on the planet surface even at night. From the Cupola the view is “upside down” - flying above clouds feels like looking up at the sky from Earth. Cloud gazing and stargazing at the same time!
More under this ad
More under this ad

Are these solar storms harmful?

More often than not, these solar storms are harmless to Earth but there have been occasions in which strong bursts of space weather were responsible for causing infrastructure problems as well as power outages.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Astronauts also have to be extra careful, as exposure to these cosmic rays and space weather radiation can have a negative impact on their health. For this reason, when astronauts go on space missions they are followed before, during and after by medical doctors.

Read also:

NASA reveals deepest image of the universe from new space telescope

Researchers make remarkable discovery of alcohol in space

A vulva-shaped rocket could be launched into space

More under this ad