NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a timelapse video of the aurora australis from inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft [1].

The footage provides a rare perspective of the Southern Hemisphere's lights from low-Earth orbit, highlighting the visual impact of solar activity on the planet's atmosphere.

Meir, a member of SpaceX Crew-12, recorded the display on Sunday, June 7, 2024 [2]. The video shows the southern lights shifting across the horizon as the capsule traveled through space [1].

Reports said the auroral display was triggered by a recent solar event [1]. This event energized the magnetosphere of Earth, creating the vibrant lights seen in the timelapse [3].

"It danced and snaked directly below us, putting on quite a show," Meir said. "I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon" [4].

The timelapse was shared publicly on June 7, 2024 [2]. It depicts the interior of the Dragon capsule with the aurora australis visible through the windows, showcasing the interaction between solar particles, and the Earth's magnetic field [1, 3].

“It danced and snaked directly below us, putting on quite a show.”

The capture of the aurora australis from orbit underscores the ongoing relationship between solar weather and Earth's magnetic environment. By documenting these events from the International Space Station and associated capsules, NASA and SpaceX provide visual data that complements scientific monitoring of solar flares and coronal mass ejections.