NASA astronaut captures surprise aurora from space - and it's truly magical

Astronaut Don Pettit captured the moment a vivid green aurora appeared below the International Space Station orbiting the earth.


Posting to X, Pettit explained they rotated 180 degrees and flew backwards for yesterday’s Soyuz docking (8 April).


Pettit has logged over 370 days in space and over 13 spacewalk hours since he joined NASA in 1996 and routinely posts about his life on the ISS.


Auroras are created when charged particles from the sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere, causing gases to glow with vibrant colours.

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