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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Auroras from Space
Explanation: What do auroras look like from above? Behold! From the ground, auroras dance high above clouds , frequently causing spectacular displays . From space, they look a bit different. As the International Space Station (ISS) circles the Earth every 90 minutes, it sometimes sees auroras below that are active on the night side. A one-hour time-lapse video showing auroras from above was captured about two weeks ago from the orbiting ISS. The ISS -- and all objects in low Earth orbit -- will pass well above green auroras but just a bit above red glowing auroras . The auroras' electron and proton streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to airplanes . From orbit, as magnetic fields change, auroras can appear to squiggle and crawl like giant snakes . The featured one-minute video was captured by French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the ISS Expedition 74 crew.
Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)
| Date | July 13, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Credit |
Image Credit: ESA , NASA , ISS Expedition 74 ; Capture: Sophie Adenot ; Music: Circle of Light ( Patrick Hawes & Grace Davidson ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |