Auroras Over Australia Look Like Sci-Fi From Space: ISS Photo of the Day
European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot captured a stunning image of the aurora australis from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on May 7, 2026. The photograph, featured as the Space Photo of the Day for May 15, 2026, depicts brilliant green and pink lights hovering over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Perth, Australia. Adenot took the image while orbiting 268 miles (431 kilometers) above Earth. The aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, is a natural phenomenon caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth's magnetic field. While typically visible near the Antarctic Circle, this event was prominent enough to be seen from space above Australia. Adenot is part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, having arrived at the ISS in February 2026 alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedaev. The image highlights the spectacular visual impact of solar activity on Earth's atmosphere, described in the report as resembling a scene from a science fiction movie.
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