Sophie Adenot Captures an Aurora Like No Other from Orbit, Showcasing Shimmering Ribbons That Lit the Station from Within

Photo credit: Sophie Adenot
French astronaut Sophie Adenot has shared images and video from one of the strongest aurora displays she has seen during her time aboard the International Space Station. The capture dates to day 127 of her εpsilon mission, logged as orbit 1968, and she called it the most spectacular one yet.

The photographs from Adenot’s camera reveal those magnificent green bands of light twisting and flowing overhead, which are a sight to behold from 400 kilometers above ground. Some shots show the display reaching across the entire planet, while others show a reddish glow higher up in the sky, adding another layer of depth to the image. The robotic arm and station components are also visible, emphasizing how massive this display is.

Adenot expressed surprise on social media, saying how alive the aurora appeared, dancing and shimmering immediately beneath the station and as far as the eye could see. The show was so bright that it began to cast green shadows within the station itself, a true spectacle she couldn’t capture with her typical settings, she added, and for her, this display was unique, unlike anything else they’d seen so far on this mission. Even though the crew had already been astounded by some of the other displays they’d seen so far on the mission, this one pushed it to a new level.

Excitement spread fast among the crew as everyone rushed to the windows, each seeking to have the best view point while the lights continued to show outside. A timelapse video she later posted reveals the motion in a manner that static images cannot, with the green ribbons changing and pulsing up and down the frame in a constant wave. Each photo catches a single moment, but that type of video continues indefinitely, demonstrating the continual change that makes events like this so exciting to watch from above.

For Adenot, a helicopter test pilot in the French Air and Space Forces, all of her experience in fast-changing environments has given her a keen eye for detail when it comes to things that change extremely quickly; this is evident in the way she composes and describes the shots. Furthermore, she is aware that her recordings will be useful to look at in a year’s time, and they also correspond to far larger patterns of solar activity. When charged particles from the sun contact with gasses higher in the atmosphere, they can produce stunning displays like this one, which can be seen from the station all at once.
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