NASA Astronaut Captures Unexpected Northern Lights Over US, Canada

On May 17, a mysterious white streak brighter than the northern lights appeared over the western U.S., which was later identified as light caused by a Chinese rocket releasing fuel before burning up in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers aboard the International Space Station unexpectedly captured a stunning video of the aurora borealis over the northern U.S. and Canada while trying to photograph massive storms on Earth. This auroral display coincided with geomagnetic storm conditions, with NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issuing a warning and a Kp index of 6, indicating heightened auroral activity. Ayers shared the video on social media, highlighting the beauty of the lights and the numerous satellites orbiting Earth. The auroras occur when charged particles from solar activity interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, producing colorful lights visible from both space and the ground. Ayers, a pilot and NASA astronaut on the SpaceX Crew-10 mission, has been sharing remarkable Earth views since arriving at the ISS earlier in 2024.