The video, recorded during her epsilon mission and released on July 2, shows a bright ribbon of green light rippling across Earth’s atmosphere as the ISS passes overhead.
‘Most spectacular aurora’ of the mission
Sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter), Adenot called it the “most spectacular aurora” she has witnessed so far during her mission.
“Day 139, orbit 2155 – After the photos, I’m thrilled to finally share with you the timelapse of the most spectacular aurora (so far!) from the epsilon mission!” she wrote.
She said it was hard “not to give in to the magic of the moment” while watching the green light ripple across Earth’s atmosphere, adding that the accompanying music was chosen to reflect the emotions she felt as she witnessed the scene from space.
Jour 139, orbite 2155 – Après les photos (disponibles en HD sur mon compte Flickr), je suis très heureuse de pouvoir enfin partager avec vous le timelapse de l’aurore la plus spectaculaire (jusqu’à présent !) de la mission εpsilon !
???? Difficile de ne pas céder à la magie de… pic.twitter.com/ppWi7Yc0kH
— Adenot Sophie (@Soph_astro) July 2, 2026
Why auroras glow
Auroras are formed when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere, mainly near the polar regions. These interactions create colourful displays, most commonly green, but also red and purple. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), stronger solar activity can make auroras brighter and visible much farther from the poles.
Earlier, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir also shared a timelapse of the Southern Aurora (Aurora Australis) filmed from a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft following a recent solar event. Together, the videos offer rare astronaut views of Earth’s colourful polar light displays from orbit.
From space, astronauts see auroras differently than people on Earth do. Instead of looking up at the lights, they see a glowing band wrapped around the planet, flowing through the upper atmosphere.
Sophie Adenot’s epsilon mission
Adenot arrived at the ISS on February 13 as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission. Her nine-month epsilon mission includes scientific research in biology, medicine, physics and technology, along with Earth observation and educational outreach.
Beyond their beauty, auroras are also a visible reminder of the Sun’s influence on Earth. Powerful solar activity that produces these displays can also disrupt satellites, radio communications, navigation systems and power grids, making space weather monitoring important for protecting astronauts and critical infrastructure.
