The Northern Lights Look Spectacular From Area — See for Your self Because of This NASA Astronaut’s Video

Ever surprise what the northern lights seem like from area? Because of NASA astronaut Don Pettit, you may see for your self.

Pettit captured this time-lapse of the aurora from the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), the place he is been stationed since September. The veteran astronaut — he is at the moment on his fourth spaceflight — is understood for his unimaginable astrophotography. He is even invented his personal star tracker gadget for long-exposure pictures and introduced that to area with him.

Within the video, a vivid inexperienced band of aurora will be seen “dancing” over Jap Canada on January 5. The inexperienced emissions of the northern lights will be discovered round 75 miles above the Earth, in line with his Reddit put up, whereas the Worldwide Area Station orbits at an altitude of roughly 250 miles.

And a bonus, Pettit typically posts on reddit the place he provides in-depth particulars on his pictures and movies.

Different hues are discovered at varied altitudes; purple, as an illustration, will be discovered between roughly 186 and 373 miles above the Earth, which implies the ISS can transfer proper by way of it. “For large aurora shows, It’s like we have now been shrunk to some miniature dimension and inserted right into a neon signal,” wrote.

Wish to see the northern lights your self? You are in luck. In keeping with NASA, the solar reached photo voltaic most, or a interval of intense photo voltaic exercise that may trigger extra frequent and extra vibrant aurora, in October. The interval of photo voltaic most can final the entire yr, although it is doable to see the northern lights even in photo voltaic minimal.

Robust photo voltaic storms can deliver the northern lights down into the USA, however you are higher off heading north for a better probability to see them. Among the greatest locations on this planet to see the northern lights embrace Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.