If you ask astronauts on the ISS what impresses them most while on the orbital outpost, many will say: spectacular views of Earth and space. At an altitude of 400 kilometers above our planet, they enjoy spectacular views not available to everyone: sunrises every 90 minutes, a sea of lightning in the atmosphere, the silvery curves of the Moon and many other things that take your breath away. But a special place among these wonders is occupied by auroras — dynamic “dances” of colors created by the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere.
Aurora seen today from @Space_Station while orbit was passing between Australia and Antartrica; photographer @astro_jannicke now on the private FRAM2 space mission will be having an even better view in their polar orbit. pic.twitter.com/8IIiWBDtu8
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) April 4, 2025
Recently, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, known for his passion for space photography, published unique videos of the aurora borealis taken from the ISS. Unlike the familiar green spirals, his videos show the phenomenon from a new perspective: it’s as if waves of “steam turbulence” are flying through the frame and intertwining with the contours of the planet. The second video, taken from a wide angle, shows how the aurorae wrap around the Earth’s curvature, giving the footage a fantastical look.
Astronaut photographer
Pettit has been in orbit since September 2023 and has already become known for its spectacular images. One of the most popular is a nighttime panorama of the Amazon basin, where the rivers resemble silvery snakes bending in the dark.
The astronaut is not the first to turn scientific observation into an art form. His colleague Thomas Pesquet from ESA became famous for a series of photos of Earth taken during ISS flybys over continents. However, Pettit adds technical skill to the experience: his work often combines long exposure, precision of detail, and an artistic approach.
Green vaporous turbulence; tonight’s show of aurora from @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/ZX0dINFhLa
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) April 5, 2025
Such photos and videos not only have aesthetic inspiration but also help science. They show climate change, devastating storms, and man-made interventions in nature. They also remind us how fragile our planet looks from space. As Pettit himself says, “Every shot is a story that the Universe tells us through the lens.”
As long as the ISS continues to orbit the Earth, astronauts will remain its most accurate storytellers. And who knows, perhaps their work will inspire future astronauts to go beyond gravity to see these wonders with their own eyes.
Previously, we showed a fantastic view of Earth from aboard the ISS.
According to digitaltrends.com
